'09 model changes for Subaru's Liberty/Outback siblings

Subaru announced at the Australian International Motor Show that the company's entire local model range was now five-star-rated by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).

ANCAP has insisted from this year that for any vehicle to be rated five stars for crash safety, the vehicle in question had to be fitted with electronic stability control. Until now, manual variants of the Liberty and Outback missed out on the active safety feature.

Now that all Liberty and Outback variants are upgraded with this feature, the two Subaru models comply with the pre-requisites for crash testing at ANCAP's Crashlab in Sydney (more here). And following their successful testing by ANCAP, the two Subarus are now being promoted by the importer as five-star cars.

The addition of stability control to the specification of the two Subaru models is just one of the changes for the 2009 model year. Satellite navigation has been incorporated in the standard spec list for the Outback 3.0R Premium and all Liberty models of equivalent or better specification than the Liberty 2.5i Premium.

All Liberty models are now trimmed in leather, with cloth a no-charge option. An auxiliary input jack is a new feature of the audio system fitted to all Liberty and Outback variants.

At the entry level, the Liberty 2.5i also gains rear privacy glass and electrically-adjustable driver's seat with dual-position memory. Reflecting the inclusion of stability control, base-grade Liberty manual variants have risen in price by $500 ($32,990 sedan, $34,990 wagon), but the autos have not changed ($34,990 sedan, $36,990 wagon).

One step up, the Liberty 2.5i Heritage now features a standard McIntosh premium sound system. Pricing for variants trimmed to this level have actually fallen by $1500 for the manuals ($36,490 sedan, $38,490 wagon) and $2000 for the autos ($38,490 sedan, $40,490 wagon).

Prices for the Liberty 2.5i Premium (auto only) have decreased $10 and are now $42,780 for the sedan or $44,780 for the wagon. The flat-six models have increased in price by $500 across the board and now range from $51,490 for the Liberty 3.0R Premium auto sedan to $54,990 for both auto and manual variants of the Liberty 3.0R spec.B wagon. The manual and auto variants of the Liberty 3.0R spec.B sedan are priced at $52,990 and the Liberty 3.0R Premium auto wagon is priced at $53,490.

Liberty 2.5 GT models have risen in price by $500 ($55,490 sedan, $57,490 wagon) and the Liberty 2.5 GT spec.B models have gone up by $1000 ($56,990 manual and auto sedans, $58,990 manual and auto wagons).

The specification for the Outback has also been improved for the new model year, with the Outback 2.5i now featuring self-levelling rear suspension, leather trim, rear privacy glass and an electrically-adjustable driver's seat with two-position memory, all as standard.

Topping the Outback range, the six-cylinder Outback 3.0R also gains leather trim and the electrically-adjustable driver's seat with two-position memory.

Pricing has increased $500 for the Outback 2.5i manual (now $36,990) and the Outback 3.0R Premium (now $54,790), but has not changed for the Outback 2.5i auto ($38,990) or the Outback 3.0R auto ($46,990).

These changes represent further value for Subaru buyers, but the upgraded models are introduced to market barely 12 months ahead of altogether new models, including diesel-engined variants.

According to Subaru's National Corporate Affairs Manager, David Rowley, the new Liberty and Outback are scheduled for a local launch some time during the third quarter of next year and will be followed by diesel variants not long after -- "Some time between June and September, ideally," says Rowley. 

"That will be for both Liberty and Outback," he said. "We're still hoping to see [the diesel engine] in the last quarter of next year."

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