Autoblog

Click above for more high-res pics of the 2009 Subaru Forester

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.

[Source: Subaru]

A recent JD Power finding that hybrid popularity is giving way to more interest in diesel powertrains may have some legs to it after all. Even though gas prices have been hovering above $3 for months, Toyota is still trimming the entry price of its 2008 Camry Hybrid by about $1,000. To help pay for the unexpected price drop, Toyota eliminated standard items like the JBL audio system, leather steering wheel and shift knob, Homelink, and electrochromic mirror with compass. $25,860 will now get you a hybrid powertrain plus steel wheels, and a single CD player, which aren't exactly luxury components. Unless the folks from Aichi, Japan have achieved manufacturing efficiencies from increased hybrid output, this could be bad news for Toyota and the many automakers on the precipice of introducing their own hybrid systems.

[Source: Auto News (subscription req'd)]

Volkswagen's best-selling car in the U.S. will become even more attractive to car buyers in the 2007 model year, as the base price for the sedan drops by $1,410, to $17,105 (including shipping).

The low-priced version will lose some of the features in the more-expensive 2006 base version.

VW has decided to move a little down-market in terms of product positioning in the U.S. market, going back to its roots as a volume producer of more economical cars. The cheaper Jetta will line up alongside the new Rabbit, which stickers about $1,000 less than the 2006 Golf.

[Source: Reuters]