Subaru VIZIV Performance Concept teases hot new Subarus at Tokyo

Subaru has unveiled its latest VIZIV-branded concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show. The sleek four-door is the sixth car to be filed under the firm’s VIZIV badging, but the first to stray from its SUV roots.

Called the VIZIV Performance Concept, it’s a sporty-looking compact saloon that is being used by Subaru to highlight the brand’s performance past and future. It gets distinctive design features and new advanced driver-assist technologies. 

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Subaru says its traditional all-wheel-drive, boxer-engined performance models were used as inspiration during the car’s conception. While there are no clear cues from the Legacy, WRX or Impreza in the concept, its high-performance credentials are left in no doubt thanks to the car’s flared wheelarches, an air scoop on the bonnet, large alloys and an aggressive rear diffuser set-up, housing four exhaust pipes.

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Subaru has also used plenty of carbon fibre to sculpt some of the sporty looking bodywork additions, while the firm says that the front grille and ‘hawkeye’ style headlights hint at the boxer engine lurking under the bonnet, while the wide stance also plays up to the concept’s all-wheel-drive drivetrain.

As with previous VIZIV concepts, it’s possible the design direction explored by the VIZIV Performance Concept could reappear further down the line, on the next-generation WRX saloon, for example. The concept is slightly larger than the current generation WRX STi though, boasting a longer wheelbase at 2,730mm. It’s also a lot wider, measuring up at 1,950mm wide alongside the tape measure, while the roof sits lower too to give the VIZIV Performance Concept showcar proportions. 

Subaru aims to launch semi-autonomous driver-assist features in 2020, and the concept previews the upcoming technology with a developed version of Subaru’s EyeSight dual-camera assistance system.

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