Subaru's new boxer

Subaru is ploughing ahead on its symmetrical all-wheel drive lonesome. The company famed for slightly off-centre thinking in a symmetrical layout has just announced the development of a new horizontally-opposed ('boxer') engine.

Local Subaru MD, Nick Senior, told the Carsales Network late last year that the Japanese manufacturer had no reason to fear any prospect of a rationalised design future aligned with Toyota. Supporting that argument, the new engine development -- the first all-new design since 1989, the company says -- furthers the viability of the company's boxer engines to suit a more stringent scenario in the future.

Subaru states that the new engine, which is expected to be as much as 10 per cent more efficient, will be built in both 2.0 and 2.5-litre capacities at the company's Gunma Oizumi Plant -- initially for Japanese consumption only. We'll see the new engine in the Forester upgrade for the 2011 model year, due in Australia early next year.

"This is an exciting engineering development from FHI," Senior was quoted as saying today

"They're renowned for the durability of their engines and this new unit will take the sophistication to a whole new level that we'll look forward to experiencing in some versions of our best-selling Forester next year."

Lighter than the engine it replaces, the new boxer will produce more torque, thanks in part to a longer stroke. Other changes include a smaller combustion chamber, lighter moving parts, cooled EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation), active valve control system for intake/exhaust, tumble generator valve and a compact oil pump. For the Japanese Domestic Market, the new DOHC engine will displace 1995cc in an undersquare configuration of 84x90mm bore and stroke. Peak power is 109kW and maximum torque is 196Nm.

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