Photo: Stefan Bauldauf
Japanese automakers have been against downsizing engines for many years, and for good reason. However, even Subaru seems to be going with the flow and plans to offer a 1.5-liter direct-injected turbo.
The same Japanese source that said Toyota was killing all its V8 engines, Max-X, reports that Subaru is "supercharging downsizing." That's just the title of the story, as their report talks about a turbo being strapped to the 1.5-liter.
It's understood that the small engine is a four-cylinder boxer and will feature direct injection for efficiency. BMW and Ford use a 3-cylinder layout for that displacement. But Subaru can't just chop off a cylinder from a 2-liter with the horizontally opposed architecture.
Lower emissions and fuel consumption are the likely main reasons behind the change, which is likely to affect even models sold in North America. There, the 1.5 turbo is likely to replace the non-turbo 2.0-liter found under the hood of the Impreza XV. Rivals with small turbo mills get about 5 miles per gallon more than those cars in EPA ratings.
We found an earlier report from a Japanese source called Car Sensor which stated the new engine would make 148 hp and arrive in 2021.
Subaru already makes a 1.5-liter, but the reports also talk about a stranger displacement, which is a 1.8-liter direct-injected turbo. This is supposed to have a maximum output of about 270 horsepower and sounds like fun. However, it's currently only earmarked for Japanese models like the Levorg wagon.
Finally, there's a 2.4-liter, which is a semi-official engine. FA24 is at the core of many upcoming projects, including the Ascent, Legacy, and Outback. The most exciting one of all is the next-gen WRX STI. But we believe the Toyobaru project will use a naturally-aspirated version with 217 hp. The 'low-output' turbo version reportedly produces 276 hp, but it will obviously go way over 300 ponies.
It's understood that the small engine is a four-cylinder boxer and will feature direct injection for efficiency. BMW and Ford use a 3-cylinder layout for that displacement. But Subaru can't just chop off a cylinder from a 2-liter with the horizontally opposed architecture.
Lower emissions and fuel consumption are the likely main reasons behind the change, which is likely to affect even models sold in North America. There, the 1.5 turbo is likely to replace the non-turbo 2.0-liter found under the hood of the Impreza XV. Rivals with small turbo mills get about 5 miles per gallon more than those cars in EPA ratings.
We found an earlier report from a Japanese source called Car Sensor which stated the new engine would make 148 hp and arrive in 2021.
Subaru already makes a 1.5-liter, but the reports also talk about a stranger displacement, which is a 1.8-liter direct-injected turbo. This is supposed to have a maximum output of about 270 horsepower and sounds like fun. However, it's currently only earmarked for Japanese models like the Levorg wagon.
Finally, there's a 2.4-liter, which is a semi-official engine. FA24 is at the core of many upcoming projects, including the Ascent, Legacy, and Outback. The most exciting one of all is the next-gen WRX STI. But we believe the Toyobaru project will use a naturally-aspirated version with 217 hp. The 'low-output' turbo version reportedly produces 276 hp, but it will obviously go way over 300 ponies.
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