From NY Times — Subaru is changing the design of its Outback sedan which will let it qualify as a truck for fuel standards.
The changes sound cosmetic, such as raising the bottom clearance height less than two inches. But the difference in fuel milage standards for light trucks is lower, 21.2 miles a gallon, than for cars, 27.5 miles a gallon.
The main issue is how much longer the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation will continue to use outdated rules defining cars and trucks. Many of the rules go back to the late ’70s, before mini-vans and SUVs, which are also classified as trucks.