CHICAGO MOTOR SHOW: Subaru's next Liberty

Subaru’s sixth-generation Liberty has made its world debut overnight at the Chicago Auto Show, two days after first images were leaked across the internet.

Wrapped in an all-new, more wedge-shaped bodyshell, the 2015 Liberty – like the production WRX – has been significantly toned down from the concept that previewed it at last November’s Los Angeles motor show.

There are clear design links to the latest Impreza and upcoming WRX, including the latest iteration of Subaru’s hexagonal grille and ‘hawk-eye’ headlights, and Subaru says its redesigned mid-size sedan focuses on quality, refinement, environmental performance and safety.

Known as the Legacy in North America, where the original debuted in 1989, the bigger new Liberty is claimed to offer more interior space, better visibility and enhanced overall safety, wrapped in a sportier and more refined exterior design featuring LED tail and brake lights, new headlights with “optimal light distribution” to improve night visibility.

Riding on a the same 2750mm wheelbase as the existing Mk5 Liberty, which grew by 80mm in length and width and arrived in Australia in September 2009, the US-spec sedan measures 4796mm long (up 51mm), 1840mm wide (up 60mm) and 1500mm high (down 5mm).

Australians are likely to be offered similar engines to North Americans, meaning a slightly more powerful naturally aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder horizontally opposed petrol engine and a slightly less powerful 3.6-litre boxer six.

In the US, the FB25 boxer now outputs 130kW of power at 5600rpm and 236Nm of torque at 4100rpm (up from a current 123kW/229Nm in Australia), while the 3.6 EZ delivers 190kW at 6000rpm and 335Nm at 4400rpm -- down from 191kW/350Nm in our Liberty 3.6X.

Both engines (the 3.6 for the first time) will be matched with Subaru’s Lineartronic continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) with steering wheel paddles for the six-speed manual mode, but so far there is no sign of a turbocharged 2.5-litre boxer four, as seen in Australia’s current Liberty GT.

Nor has Subaru revealed a sixth-generation Liberty wagon, which is expected to arrive in the form of the Levorg sports wagon that debuted at last November’s Tokyo show and went on sale in Japan in January.

Subaru claims increased cabin space, with revised roof frames, thinner door sash frames and further-forward A-pillars helping to increase shoulder, elbow, waist and rear leg room.

Passenger hip points are higher “for a more natural seat positioning with better views”, while door-mounted side mirrors reduce the front blind spot and increase forward visibility, as do thinner sun visors. There’s more space between the front seats, allowing a wider centre armrest and console box, while revised front seat slide rails expand rear legroom.

Safety advances include the addition of reversing radar to the upgraded EyeSight driver assist system – now supported by Blind Spot Detection (BSD), Lane Change Assist (LCA), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) and Steering Responsive Fog (SRF) lights -- and Subaru Active Torque Vectoring, which is claimed to deliver “superior turning performance and steering response”.

A wider dashboard with horizontal highlights features a new infotainment system, which is accessed via a large central touch-screen incorporating navigation, media and audio functions, the latter supported by harman/kardon speakers.

Black with silver highlights and ‘ornate ivory’ interior colours will be offered in the US, while top-spec models add blue-ring illumination to the dual-dial instrument cluster with integrated colour LCD displays.

Subaru says the new Liberty’s chassis, steering, suspension and brakes are “totally revamped for performance above other vehicles in Legacy’s class”.

Combined with a stiffer body and suspension mounts, plus larger wheel bearings, it claims the result is improved (electric) steering stability, less floor and seat vibration and better ride quality, with range-topping models fitted with STABLEX-Ride.