CHERRY HILL, N.J., Jan. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Subaru of America, Inc. announced today that it will debut a new STARLINK in-car connectivity brand at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show (CES).  Subaru STARLINK cabin technology represents the automaker's new infotainment strategy.  For the first time ever, Subaru will have a stand-alone presence at CES, demonstrating its driver-friendly Aha integration and Eyesight^® driver-assist system on the all-new 2014 Forester. 

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080325/SUBARULOGO )

STARLINK is the product of a new, cross-functional infotainment team created by Subaru parent company Fuji Heavy Industries.  The global team of engineers, planners, and marketing strategists are working together to enhance connectivity & safety technology features in Subaru vehicles, while also simplifying and reducing overall cabin complexity.  

"Subaru is proud to unveil STARLINK cabin technologies at the world's largest consumer electronics tradeshow," said Akio Takai, FHI Deputy General Manager, and leader of the infotainment cross-functional team (ICFT).  "We understand that the driving experience is about much more than mobility, and we know that today's car shopper is looking for technologies that are value-added but also safe, helping them accomplish their daily errands without adding to driver distraction."

STARLINK Infotainment

The STARLINK connectivity suite offerings begin with the trend-setting Aha service by long-time Subaru partner HARMAN  International.  With Aha, Subaru drivers can safely access tens of thousands of stations of Web-based content such as: NPR^® podcasts and 900 NPR member radio stations available via streaming; on demand music services such as Slacker^® MOG^® and Rhapsody^®; news, talk radio, and podcasts from around the world; CBS RADIO's Radio.com;  free audio books; personalized hotel recommendations from TripAdvisor; customized weather, surf and local park information; Facebook^® and Twitter^® newsfeeds in audio; and personalized restaurant and cafe recommendations from Yelp^®. The channels from Aha are constantly changing and growing, allowing customers to always be able to access their favorite content from the web.

"Subaru STARLINK is about enhancing the driver's experience," said David Sullivan, Cross-Car Planning Manager for Subaru of America.  "Aha gives drivers an easy, inexpensive and safe way to interact with information from their smartphone device without touching it while driving - the simple to use interface is transferred to your vehicle navigation screen automatically.  We research, talk, and interact with consumers regularly – and many are looking for a safe way to utilize their apps in-car.  We think the Aha app integration is a great way to kickoff our STARLINK efforts, and has much of the content our customers are looking for."

STARLINK will continue to grow, adding content partners and connectivity capabilities over time.  It will debut in the all-new 2014MY Subaru Forester in all navigation-equipped vehicles, and will also be introduced as a running change in 2013MY Subaru Legacy & Outback models equipped with factory navigation.  2014MY Subaru Impreza, BRZ, and XV Crosstrek models will all be adding STARLINK integration this summer as well.

EyeSight

Combining safety and convenience features, the Subaru EyeSight driver-assist system is one of the most affordable technologies of its type available in the United States market. EyeSight integrates adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking, pre-collision throttle management, and vehicle lane departure and sway warning. Under certain circumstances, EyeSight is able to bring the car to a complete stop, thus avoiding a collision.

EyeSight uses two charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras developed by Subaru, and supplied by Hitachi. EyeSight is mounted inside the car on the upper edge of the windshield, thus reducing the potential for damage that could occur in bumper-mounted systems, such as radar. The EyeSight system processes stereo images to identify the vehicles traveling in front, as well as obstacles, traffic lanes and other items. The video information is relayed to the EyeSight module, which is also networked with the car's braking system and electronic throttle control, among others. Below closing speeds of approximately 19mph, EyeSight is capable of detecting pedestrians in the vehicle's path and can activate in order to mitigate or even avoid a collision.

"Our STARLINK connectivity strategy builds on the Subaru heritage of fun-to-drive vehicles that are recognized for best-in-class safety and durability," said Takai.  "As technology evolves, so will our STARLINK offerings.  We look forward to satisfying our customers more in the future with this new direction at Subaru." 

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About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 600 dealers across the United States.  All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information visit www.subaru.com.

"Subaru", all model names, and the Subaru logo are registered trademarks of the Subaru division of Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd, Japan.  Features and technical data apply to models offered in the USA. They may differ in other countries.

About Aha by HARMAN

Aha, a unit of HARMAN International Industries, is the interactive service that makes Web content as easy and safe to use as radio. Aha uses the Harman Cloud Platform to organize content from the Web into personalized radio stations that consumers can listen to from anywhere – at home, on the go, or safely from the driver's seat. By the end of 2013, more than ten automotive manufacturers will launch vehicles using Aha to enable safe access to Web content for drivers, including Acura, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Porsche and Subaru. The Aha platform and service was started in 2008 in Silicon Valley by a group of Web and multimedia veterans with a shared passion for delivering an "always on" audio experience to connect drivers to the content they really want. HARMAN, the company that designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets, acquired Aha in September 2010. For more information, visit www.aharadio.com or find Aha on Facebook and Twitter. 

"CBS RADIO" and "Radio.com" is a registered trademark of CBS Radio, Inc.  "Facebook^" is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.  The "Twitter" name is a trademark of Twitter, Inc. in the United States and other countries.  "Slacker" is a registered trademark of Slacker, Inc.  "Yelp" name is a registered trademark of Yelp!, Inc. "MOG" is a registered trademark of Mog, Inc.  "SHOUTcast is a trademark of AOL LLC". "Rhapsody is a registered trademark of RI".  "NPR" is a trademark of National Public Radio, Inc.  Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.

Sheriece Matias
Subaru of America, Inc.
410-972-9177
smat@subaru.com

Sean Maynard
Subaru Press Information
(248) 805-1656
sean.maynard@subiepr.com

SOURCE Subaru of America, Inc.