Skip to main content

2020 SUBARU OUTBACK VS. 2019 HONDA PASSPORT

2020 SUBARU OUTBACK VS. 2019 HONDA PASSPORT

In a vehiclescape increasingly dominated by high-riding crossovers that mostly just haul folks around on pavement, it's fun to zoom in on the few that still pretend to serve the outdoorsy mission the genre was created for in the first place. For 25 years people have been taking Subaru Outbacks out to the back of beyond. Sure, the Outback started life as a mildly hiked up wagon and no, it never featured butch rock-crawling gear like a ladder frame or live axles, but these days it offers 8.7 inches of ground clearance, standard all-wheel drive, a National Parks infotainment app, and an Onyx XT trim grade boasting a front-view camera for spotting the immediate obstacles ahead, a full-size spare, and an exclusive Dual-Mode X-Mode drive program that adds settings for deep-snow and mud or dirt and sand conditions to facilitate family adventuring. Honda's key competitor in this space, the Passport, once did feature a ladder frame and live rear axle (all of which was designed and built for Honda by Isuzu), but returns to market sporting Subaru's same essential unibody multi-link formula. Which is the more enticing new entry? We examined both at the 2019 New York auto show to find out.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

O'CONNELL BECOMES VOLVO TRUCKS AUSTRALIA SALES BOSS

O'CONNELL BECOMES VOLVO TRUCKS AUSTRALIA SALES BOSS  Volvo Group Australia has promoted its aftersales and services vice president Tony O’Connell to vice president of sales. Rising through the group's ranks, O’Connell started with Volvo as a project coordinator in 2005, and has held roles in project management, business development and retail support over the past 13 years. "My role in aftersales and services has been focused on helping to resolve issues before they become problems, which means getting close to customers to understand their businesses and their priorities," Mr O’Connell said. "This has given me invaluable insight into what matters most to our customers, and I am looking forward to translating this into my new role leading Volvo Trucks Australia." O'Connell oversaw Volvo Group's new online used parts store for Mack, UD and Volvo trucks. Read more, here Volvo Group Australia president and CEO Martin Merrick says the ap...

Quadricycles to get approval for private use in India - Reports

Quadricycles to get approval for private use in India - Reports It is widely reported that the Union government is about to approve the sale of quadricycles for private use. Doing so should pave the way for a new segment of four-wheelers that should bridge the gap between motorcycles and cars. The Bajaj Qute, which is currently the only quadricycle available in India, is expected to spearhead the development of this category. The Bajaj Qute made its debut as the  RE60  in 2012 but could not be  launched until June 2018  as rivals and industry bodies approached the Supreme Court on safety concerns. Also See - Bajaj Auto keen to supply Qute to Ola and Uber - Report Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior officer of the Road Transport and Highways ministry is reported to have said- We will be issuing a notification in a day or two allowing the use of quadricycles for private use. Earlier, we had allowed them as a new transport category for ...

Renault HBC small SUV confirmed to be launched in India in 2020

Renault HBC small SUV confirmed to be launched in India in 2020 The latest development was recently revealed by Venkatram Mamillapalle, Renault India’s new Managing Director. “The mid-term plan is in force and everything goes as per the plan,” he said. We need to have double the share by 2022 with a proper line up (of products) with RBC (Triber) this year and HBC next year. The HBC has been in the rumour mill since 2016, but Renault has remained light-tipped on the progress of the project so far. It will be the final model to come from the Kwid family after the Triber. Like the Triber, it should have an individual design and not be a mere product extension. The Renault HBC should measure no more than 4,000 mm in length, to get taxed at the least possible rate(s) and have economical pricing. Power could come from the turbocharged version of the Kwid’s 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that is said to be offered as an option in the Triber next year.