JL sent us over an email from Subaru of America that's instructed dealers to immediate cease sales of all Subaru models equipped with the turbocharged, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. The directive effects some 2008 and 2009 models built in January and February, including the Forester, Legacy 2.5GT, LTD, 2.5GTB and Impreza sedan and wagon.
The issue involves reports of an "engine knocking noise" that's been affecting vehicles outside the U.S. market, and an initial investigation has found that there is some kind of internal wear that may be causing the noise.
Currently, no U.S. vehicles have been affected, and a Subaru spokesperson told us that the stop sale has been issued as a temporary measure to nip it in the proverbial bud and that once the issue is addressed sales will begin again. You can read the full directive and see the exact production dates of the affected models after the jump.
Subaru has released pricing on the all-new 2009 Subaru Forester introduced last mont in Detroit and it's a whopping $1,200 less than the price of the outgoing model. This means you can put a brand-new completely redesigned Forester 2.5X with standard all-wheel drive, curtain airbags and stability control in your driveway for $19,995 (plus destination and delivery, of course). At the other end of the spectrum, a 2.5XT Limited model starts at $28,195.
You have to salute Subaru's move. The new Forester is a very competent package in a competitive crossover SUV segment. Anyone shopping this category has good reason to take it for a spin, and the price drop is just icing on the cake. Check out Subaru's press release after the jump for a full breakdown of pricing by trim level.
Today in Detroit we finally got to see the long-anticipated (by some of us at least) 2009 Subaru Forester that was revealed on Christmas Day. We've covered the JDM version and the US model pretty extensively, but now we have a few live shots of this fun and funky CUV for those who like that sort of thing. As we've already revealed, US customers will have their choice of naturally-aspirated and turbocharged versions of the same 2.5L boxer four-cylinder engine that has been offered in the past, although they've been reworked for more low-end torque.
more ...
