Subaru Legacy Goes into 5th Generation
Mention the word Subaru, (not in a karaoke room, where it could be mistaken for a popular Japanese song), and immediately images of the familiar blue WRC cars come to mind. Subaru have been campaigning in world rally events for many years now, and of course their most famous models would be the Imprezza STI range, veritable pocket rockets that can win world class rally events.
The hallmark of Subaru today is that all their cars have All-wheel-drive, meaning that all the four wheels are driven. They don’t like the term 4WD, as was pointed out to me when I attended their test drive recently in Singapore, as it gives connotations of heavy duty trucks and off-road vehicles, saying that 4WD vehicles have the option to switch off drive to the front, etc, etc; I think that the description does not matter. The fact remains, all wheels are driven, permanently, in the case of the Subaru, and these are generally cars, not trucks or SUV’s, except for the Forester, which is Subaru’s version of an SUV.
The Legacy, which is the subject of today’s article, is Subaru’s upmarket version vehicle, larger than the Imprezza, and tuned more for comfortable driving than racing, although some of its turbo-charged versions can still leave most other cars behind when push gets to shove. The fifth generation Legacy comes in three models, and six variants to suit each, every, and any requirement that potential customers may have.
Firstly, there is the Sedan version, an elegant-looking four-door, ‘three box’ model, with either a 2.0 litre naturally aspirated, 4-cylinder DOHC engine in the traditional ‘boxer’ configuration of twin horizontally-opposed cylinders, another Subaru signature. The 2.0 litre engine develops 150PS and 196Nm of torque. The 2.0 Sedan is equipped with a “Lineartronic” CVT. Top speed is 203 km/h.
The sedan version also comes with a 2.5 litre turbo-charged version that develops a whopping 265PS and a staggering 350Nm of torque. The transmission for this model is a 5-speed automatic, giving the turbo-charged sedan a top speed of 245 km/h and a zero to 100 km/h acceleration of 6.2 seconds; this is a potent combination, made to please.
Now, if you like the above two cars, but need more space, you can opt for the station-wagon version of either one. All the specification regarding engine and transmission are the same for each of the engine variants; in addition, the usual traction control systems, brake assist, ABS, etc, are all standard equipment throughout the range.
For the more outdoor types, there is a cross-over vehicle called the Legacy Outback. This is a raised version of the Legacy, built as a station-wagon, but looks more masculine, like a SUV. Wheels are bigger, and being somewhat heavier, comes with either a four-cylinder, 2.5 litre SOHC naturally aspirated, 167PS engine, or a 3.6 litre naturally aspirated 6-cylinder engine producing 260PS. The 2.5 litre engine comes with a ‘Lineartronic” CVT, while the 3.6 litre version comes with a 5-speed automatic.
Seating capacity of the Legacy Outback is 5 persons, very surprising, as I would have thought that this would be a prime opportunity to go to seven. I suspect that this would be due to the fact that they use the exact same platform, so the length of the floorboard would not allow for a seven-seater arrangement.
Amongst the various variants, there are some small cosmetic differences to differentiate them from each other, and some variations in some minor specifications, but we shall not go into details. Suffice to say, all of them are built to premium specifications, and the prices of each model reflect the details put into them.
We had the opportunity to test all of the models; it was done at the Singapore Police Driving Academy grounds hidden somewhere on the outskirts of Singapore, and although I marked it on my GPS, I have no idea on how to get there without it. Anyway, back to the test drive.
The drive itself was quite restrictive; no exceeding 80 km/h, which I obeyed, until I met a more sympathetic ‘driving instructor’ (read as nursemaid) who actually wanted me to drive and appreciate the car, no overtaking, which was okay with me, as we were flagged off on the course with huge gaps between cars, and nursemaids in the car with us. I cannot vouch for the top speeds, but in so far as the handling aspect of the cars is concerned, the all-wheel-drive (AWD) makes it a no brainer. It is just a question of whether you dare to keep your foot down through the corners or not. There is the characteristic initial under steer if you push it into the bend on full throttle, but a little bit of lift-off and a tap of the brakes to bring the nose down will give you the right weight transfer to turn in; on the turbo-charged models, pushing the accelerator pedal down as you exit the corners will give petrol heads instant gratification; these cars are fun to drive!
Naturally, the non-turbo models will not be as fun, especially if you drive them back-to-back with the turbo charged models, but driven in isolation, the power delivery is respectable, when compared to other cars of similar engine capacity.
Motor Image is the local distributors for Singapore and Malaysia. In addition, the company also owns distributorships under the same name in Southern China, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Malaysian prices were not available at the time of the test drive.
