Liberty City for Subaru

Subaru has previewed its new Legacy sedan ahead of its public reveal at the New York International Auto Show that begins April 9. Although strictly for the North American market the new Legacy is a clear indication of the new Australian-bound Liberty.

Although the US Legacy is different to the Japanese-sourced model headed our way the only significant variation is a slightly wider body for the Legacy. Based heavily on the Legacy Concept unveiled at the North American International Auto Show (more here) the new car features a dramatic new look.

Although the grille remains similar to the out-going model the headlights, bumper and bonnet are all new. At the side the new model sports flared wheelarches at both ends and a short boot and Impreza-style taillights at the rear.

Under the bonnet there are significant changes with Subaru offering an upgraded range of engines. The 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder boxer produces 127kW; the turbo version of the same unit is up to 198kW while the 3.6-litre flat-six will be good for 191kW.

In addition to a six-speed manual Subaru will also be offering a Lineartronic CVT with the base engine while there will also be five-speed automatic.

Australian specifications and variants will be released closer to the car's local launch in September.

"Safety, performance and style are all key ingredients in the new generation Liberty mix," says Nick Senior, Subaru Australia managing director. "Combined with the high quality engineering for which Subaru is renowned, it represents a formidable package."