STONE_COLD
14/01/2004, 09h17
C'est la première fois que je vois qu'une auto est classifié comme camion :!: :!: :!:
Subaru Tweaks Outback to Avoid Regs
A Japanese carmaker has modified -- ever so slightly -- one of its models to elude a U.S. air pollution standard, the New York Times reported Tuesday.
Subaru's Outback sedan has been modified so it can be reclassified as a "light truck" to avoid tougher fuel economy and air pollution standards that apply to cars.
It is the first time an automaker plans to make changes in a sedan -- like simply raising its ground clearance by about 1.5 inches -- so it can qualify as a light truck.
But it is hardly the first time an automaker has taken advantage of the nation's complex fuel regulations, which divide each manufacturer's annual vehicle fleet into two categories.
Light trucks will have to average only 21.2 miles a gallon in the 2005 model year. By contrast, each automaker's full fleet of passenger cars must average 27.5 miles a gallon.
The move will let Subaru sell more vehicles with turbochargers, which pep up performance but hurt mileage and increase pollution. They also made it hard to meet fleet-wide fuel economy standards for cars.
Subaru Tweaks Outback to Avoid Regs
A Japanese carmaker has modified -- ever so slightly -- one of its models to elude a U.S. air pollution standard, the New York Times reported Tuesday.
Subaru's Outback sedan has been modified so it can be reclassified as a "light truck" to avoid tougher fuel economy and air pollution standards that apply to cars.
It is the first time an automaker plans to make changes in a sedan -- like simply raising its ground clearance by about 1.5 inches -- so it can qualify as a light truck.
But it is hardly the first time an automaker has taken advantage of the nation's complex fuel regulations, which divide each manufacturer's annual vehicle fleet into two categories.
Light trucks will have to average only 21.2 miles a gallon in the 2005 model year. By contrast, each automaker's full fleet of passenger cars must average 27.5 miles a gallon.
The move will let Subaru sell more vehicles with turbochargers, which pep up performance but hurt mileage and increase pollution. They also made it hard to meet fleet-wide fuel economy standards for cars.