Concept cars tend to be far, far from automobile reality. Many
concept cars can’t even move on their own, but are just physical representations
of what the future of the brand might look like. Bucking the trend, Subaru has
put most production standards into the Viziv2, the newest concept car to hit
the Geneva Motor Show floor. Not only can the Viziv2 move, it is almost ready
to take out on the road because it meets many safety standards. Most concept
cars don’t even take safety standards into account.
The first Viziv concept car Subaru brought out was the first hybrid concept that Subaru unveiled. It was a plug-in hybrid with a diesel engine. The electric motor ran the back two wheels and the diesel motor ran the front if more power was needed. That concept is still in the Viziv2 but with a few changes in the distribution of the power. Torque vectoring, which we see in the all-new 2015 WRX STI, also makes an appearance in the Viziv2 concept car to increase turning traction for safer cornering. The Viziv2 also has other concepts that you’ll already find on current Subaru vehicles, like the EyeSight system that keeps occupants safer through a number of responsive driving features.
Subaru has been working on making the Viziv more “real-world” -- in other words, compliant with safety standards. One thing you’ll note is that the front end of the Viziv2 is stockier and sticks out much further from the cabin of the car. This is likely to meet pedestrian standards that require a certain hood length and size to reduce injury should a vehicle hit a pedestrian. The looks of the Viziv2 are more similar to what we see in the WRX, with angled door panels and a stocky body.
What would need to change for a production model is adding a second pillar, called the B-pillar, in the middle of the cabin. The Viziv2 has special doors—the front doors flip up on a single hinge and the back doors slide towards the rear of the car out of the way. This opens up the interior space well for a showroom floor so we can see the inside of the vehicle, but Subaru’s commitment to safety and safety concepts make it more likely that a second pillar between the two doors would be added, as well as conventional door hinges. This creates a circle opening that helps protect occupants, like you’ll find in current Subaru production models.
Whichever way the engineers decide to go, we’re excited to see what changes the Viziv2
brings to the production models in the future.
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