Japan's top automaker believes technological breakthroughs, such as hydrogen engines, can give internal combustion a new lease on life — saving jobs as well as the environment.

The Subaru Solterra, the automaker's first global electric vehicle, is the badge-sharing stablemate of the Toyota bZ4X — and is the spitting image of its sibling, from the oversized wheel cladding and beveled back fender to the funky wraparound taillight motif. The Solterra goes on sale in mid-2022 in the U.S., Canada, Japan, Europe and China.

Toyota’s recall includes 2,200 vehicles that were earmarked for Europe, 260 for the U.S., 20 for Canada and 110 for Japan, the automaker said.

Subaru, citing the advent of electrification and other environmental regulations, said it will not produce a WRX STI with an internal combustion engine based on the recently launched WRX platform.

Subaru's outlay shows the all-wheel drive specialist is finally turning its focus to full-electric vehicles after introducing its first serious contender, the Solterra crossover, only this year.

Japan's automakers are stoking R&D investment to meet mounting demand for a staggering array of technologies. Toyota by far outpaces the pack.

Subaru of America said it will start taking $250 refundable reservations for its first EV, the 2023 Subaru Solterra, beginning at noon Tuesday.

The Solterra, Subaru's first global EV, offers the brand's trademark all-wheel-drive setup. But on the outside, it shares a lot with Toyota.

The brand is banking on its awd off-road cred to set its new Solterra EV apart from Tesla and other rivals as it tiptoes into electric vehicles.

The automaker's motorsports division will test the car at circuits in Japan and try to set a new lap record on Germany's famed Nürburging from 2023.

Subaru's output fell 20 percent to 207,000 in the quarter, while deliveries plummeted 35 percent to 173,000 in the same period.

When it goes on sale this summer, the 2023 Solterra, Subaru's first electric vehicle, will start at $46,220 and top out at more than $53,000.

Subaru will jump into the electric vehicle fray next year with a crossover co-developed with Toyota alongside Toyota's new bZ4X.

The 2023 Toyota bZ4X will have a lower sticker price than the 2023 Subaru Solterra, but Subaru still has almost all of its $7,500 federal tax credits for customers to use.

Asbury Automotive Group Inc. co-founder and former Subaru of America President Thomas Gibson . He was 79. Gibson in 1994 with financial support from Toronto-based Onex Corp. and a vision to buy large dealerships.

Automakers will show about 10 electric vehicles or concepts at the rebranded AutoMobility LA show.

Does it make sense these days to invest in a new generation of small, gasoline-powered, modestly priced sports cars? Absolutely, say Toyota and Subaru.

Toyota notched all-time high quarterly operating profit in the April-June period, with record fiscal first-quarter results for net income, revenue and global retail sales.

Subaru's partnership with Toyota that launched a couple of nifty sports cars, the Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86, moves in a new direction that is more suited for the all-wheel-drive specialist.