2001 Subaru WX-01 - AllCarIndex

Fuji Heavy Industries Unveils Exciting Cars and Technologies for Tomorrow at the 35th Tokyo Motor Show

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), a global manufacturer of transportation and aerospace-related products and the maker of Subaru automobiles, today announced the major features of its Subaru vehicles and their technologies, which will be exhibited at the 35th Tokyo Motor Show to be held at Makuhari Messe from October 27 through November 7, 2001. Under the theme "Driving Emotion," FHI will express its intractable commitment to the long-standing tradition of providing driving pleasure. Growing out of this tradition and that of its precise engineering, the company will continue to develop cars that meet tomorrow's high-level requirements for safety and environmental advances.

Ultimate driving pleasure coupled with superb maneuverability at the command of the driver are not only regarded as essential functions of a Subaru vehicle, but also as attractive features of any car. FHI has long emphasized driving pleasure in all of its automotive development, no matter what shape or purpose a car embodies. While constantly improving on safety features and environmental considerations, the company has been dedicating itself to refining driving pleasure by incorporating its original, innovative technologies, such as its all-wheel drive (AWD) systems, to fit the sensitivities and desires of its drivers.

Subaru's exhibit at this year's Tokyo Motor Show exemplifies FHI's emphasis on driving pleasure and its continued commitment to making future Subaru vehicles as fun to drive as ever. At center stage of the Subaru display will be a huge movable screen in front of which will stand a life-size, transparent model of the Legacy Station Wagon, created to demonstrate Subaru's traction control systems. Interacting with the life-size model, the screen moves back and forth on the stage and projects dazzling scenes of the Legacy Station Wagon being driven. The exhibition also features two concept cars that are fully loaded with new technologies: the WX-01, a sporty, high-performance, next-generation Grand Touring Car with exceptional utilities that can seat seven passengers comfortably; and the HM-01, a fashionable, compact mini-car fitted with a revolutionary, hybrid AWD system. The HM-01 was unveiled for the first time at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show in September of this year, while the WX-01 makes its world premiere at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Major Subaru Attractions at the Tokyo Motor Show

CONCEPT CARS

WX-01

The WX-01 is a strong reflection of what FHI believes the ideal grand touring car of the future to be. Designed to comfortably accommodate up to seven passengers (5 in the front and second rows + 2 in the third row), it delivers a superb driving experience no matter how many passengers or how much weight it carries.

Major features

1) Using the triangle as a motif in its design, WX-01 styling represents stability, rigidity, and an agile figure in one form. Its tapered roof and rear end are styled to enhance shapeliness and improve aerodynamic performance.

2) Interior colors of the WX-01 are coordinated in ivory tones and accented with purple, which is the body color. Designed to reflect a near-future look, the interior combines machined-aluminum instrument panels with the soft suede-like seats and doors. Utility controls and instrument read-outs for the air conditioner and navigation systems are concentrated on the center console in an easily visible location. At the same time, the simply designed controls and switches with fewer buttons are user friendly.

3) A new type of four-wheel traction control system has been adopted in the WX-01 for optimal distribution of torque to each of its four wheels. The new four-wheel traction control system ensures stable driving through its newly developed torque distribution mechanisms in the front and rear differential gears, which dramatically reduce the unexpected impact of bumpy roads or strong side winds, no matter how many passengers or how much cargo weight are put in the vehicle.

4) Through the application of "multi-materials technology," in which new composites are used and materials are exploited for structural components and parts according to their functions and roles, the WX-01 achieves a light agility, which makes for a crisp, exuberant ride, as well as better fuel economy.

5) WX-01's advanced headlamp system predicts the direction of the car by analyzing information from its steering operation and navigation system, making it possible to beam light accurately onto the road in the path of the turning car. This application of variable light distribution technology employed in auxiliary headlights improves safety during night driving.

HM-01

The HM-01 offers a glimpse of Subaru's future compact car. It is designed around the concept of an "emotional mini car" that evocatively stimulates its driver with its responsiveness and its stability on the road, while providing easy-to-use convenient features. The HM-01 showcases a new, hybrid AWD system that transmits engine power to the front wheels via the i-CVT (intelligent CVT - continuously variable transmission) while the rear wheels are driven by an electrical motor system.

Main features

1) The styling of the HM-01 is based on the legendary 360 model, an original Subaru car from the1950s. Borrowing the fender line of the 360, this concept car has a blend of retro and modern looks. Short front and rear overhangs and relatively low height, together with hidden rear-door handles tucked in the door sashes, enhance the side silhouette, which is as streamlined and smooth as a 2-door model.

2) Despite its compact styling, a roomy interior space has been realized, particularly in the front cabin. A functional, simple interior is accented by curved piping in the instrument and side-door panels. While seat fabric and aluminum-surfaced material on the instrumental panels and doors accentuate quality in design, the color scheme of ivory and yellow creates a modern, high-pop atmosphere.

3) The newly developed hybrid AWD system of the HM-01 is made possible by the bold approach of combining electric batteries with a gasoline combustion engine to generate power. The front wheels are driven by power transmitted through the i-CVT from an inline, four-cylinder, 658-cc engine with an idling stop & restart system, while the rear wheels are controlled by a 42-V electrical motor system. Center around its front-wheel drive platform, the HM-01 spearheads the development of a new type of AWD car with flexibility in packaging. Equipped with an efficient gasoline engine and clean batteries, this concept car not only promises nimble all-wheel driving satisfaction, but its technological innovations also help reduce emissions and improve fuel mileage.

4) The HM-01's newly developed dual-voltage system, which comprises two batteries (36 and 12 V) and a DC-DC converter in the rear unit plus a high-power alternator in front, allows 42- and 14-V dual-voltage wiring routes to control power transmission to the wheels and feed power into electrically controlled units.

The 36-V battery is the low-cost, sealed lead-acid type and is easily recyclable.

5) The rear drive unit in the HM-01's hybrid AWD system features optimal torque control in the rear wheels to accommodate various driving conditions, which again attests to Subaru's expertise in four-wheel traction control technology.

Superb driving stability is maintained through control of the power regeneration in the electrical motors at reduced speeds. The compact, light-weight rear drive unit in HM-01's system can be packaged in almost the same way as conventional rear-differential gears.

SHOW MODELS

LEGACY B4 Blitzen 2002 model

Designed by Austria-based Porsche Design, the styling of the new Blitzen reinforces the clean surface composition and dimensions articulated in the model shown at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show. The sporty image of the LEGACY B4 is further underscored in this new Porsche design.

LEGACY Touring Wagon "Avignon"

Designed to bring to mind an impression of Mediterranean winds, with the key words "fresh blue breeze," the Avignon features distinct styling and colors that reflect the beautiful contrasts of cobalt blue seas, white houses, and their brightly colored roofs around the hilly coastal areas of Southern France near Avignon. The city, designated as one of the cultural sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 1995, was the seat of the papacy in the 14th century. Avignon has preserved an exceptional group of monuments that bear witness to its eminent role in the culturally flourishing Renaissance age of Europe. This city's history and heritage have a distinct association with a "legacy."

IMPREZA Sports Wagon TYPE EURO

Jointly styled with Porsche Design, the IMPREZA TYPE EURO has distinctively sporty looks with sharp and clear lines. The styling concept focuses on carving a car out of a massive aluminum block, and the model is painted in specially developed metallic silver to reflect this image.

PLEO surfing

Inspired by the irresistible fun of "surfing" on the internet, the compact PLEO surfing model has been styled to express nimble, easy maneuverability for city driving. Its roomy interior space uses modern, youthful, pop colors.

ST-X

The ST-X, developed and designed by Subaru of America Inc., is a new type of vehicle that combines the versatility of the Subaru Outback* with the utility of a pickup. The four-seat pickup truck prototype, based on the popular Outback, debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show in 2000. Its horizontally-opposed, 4-cylinder, 2.5-liter engine with a supercharger ensures powerful acceleration and a lively ride, and the Switchback seat extends the cargo bed length more than 20 inches forward when the seatback is folded down to form a flat cargo floor.

(*The Outback is called the Legacy Lancaster in Japan.)

SAMBAR TransCare with a wheelchair lift

A new type of wheelchair lift, equipped on the SAMBAR TransCare model, features easier and safer access and transfer of passengers in wheelchairs into the vehicle by remote control operation. The improved lift with handrails has a fully automatic platform that folds up and is tucked out of the way on the floor. The easy-to-access lift platform design makes it possible for a passenger to enter and exit the platform from the side, and the platform also requires less clearance in tight parking situations.

SOURCE: Subaru. Please mention www.allcarindex.com if you use this text.