One of the many trends in the automotive industry today is downsizing engines — and Subaru might be the latest automaker to follow.
According to a report from Australia’s CarAdvice (hat tip to AutoGuide), Yoichi Hori, Subaru’s deputy general manager for engineering, says there’s a chance the company’s 3.6-litre flat-six could be phased out and replaced by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
“Our research said the six-cylinder model is decreasing in the world,” Hori told CarAdvice. “So that’s why probably the future, many companies take smaller displacement with a turbocharger, or diesel, or hybrid.”
Currently, the 3.6-litre flat-six is used in the Legacy and Outback. In China, the Outback is available with a 2.0-litre turbo-four, but that is due to tax reasons. Outside of North America, the previous-generation Legacy and Outback was sold exclusively with four-cylinder powertrains, be it normally-aspirated, turbocharged or turbodiesel.
As for potential replacements, Subaru has the turbocharged 2.5-litre turbo-four from the WRX STI, as well as the 2.0L from the WRX and Forester XT — all of which meet or exceed the 3.6-litre flat-six’s output.
