Editor’s Note: for the next couple of updates, we will be featuring some of the ‘star cars’ from the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) 2009. We’re starting things off with the Subaru Legacy Concept.
Long before there was the iconic Impreza, Subaru stormed the world rally scene with the Legacy saloon. Originally sized as a compact car, the Legacy soon aligned itself with the likes of the Mazda6 and the Honda Accord in terms of size and power. Marking the twentieth anniversary of the Legacy, Subaru has taken the wraps off the Legacy Concept—a thinly disguised concept car that hints at the all-new Legacy coming in the next year.
The new Legacy takes on the design theme of “Presence” and as such, it comes out as a very aggressive and very distinctive design. Four prominent wheel arches at every corner emphasize Subaru’s trademark Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system while sharp design lines give bulk and emphasis to the car’s flowing lines. Upfront, the Legacy Concept takes on the “center wing motif”—aligning it to Subaru’s brand identity. Sharp headlamps with rounded edges feature a vertical-row layout complete with multiple LED lamps. Things are much simpler and clean-cut at the back, where trapezoidal twin tail pipes are prominently featured.
With its designation as a “concept”, the Legacy Concept features slim, wedge-shaped Side Rear Vision Cameras as well as a special high-luster silver paint. These will no doubt not make it to the production version.
Inside, more high-tech toys have been sprinkled such as touch-screens and cameras. However, beyond these lies the all-new Legacy’s high-quality interior that’s promised to be a mix of comfort and style (notice that most switchgear is already production ready). The angular roofline of the Legacy Concept should translate to much bigger headroom while the contoured seats should create much more legroom than before. Like the Impreza, the Legacy uses a flowing wing design creating a cockpit feel, especially for the front occupants.
Despite a trend towards larger mid-sized sedans, the Legacy Concept continues to be on the compact side—measuring in at 4,795 mm (a growth of just 75 mm versus the previous model). More importantly though is that wheelbase has grown to 2,750 mm from the previous model’s 2,670 mm. This makes the Legacy a roomier car than the 2009 Mazda6 and striking distance to the Honda Accord.
The Legacy Concept is powered by a 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine with Subaru’s trademark horizontally-opposed layout. Though no power figures were quoted, it shouldn’t be any less than the Tribeca’s (which shares the same engine) at 256 horsepower and 335 Nm of torque. No doubt, Subaru will also offer several turbocharged flat-4s as well as their new Boxer Diesel as engine choices for the new Legacy. The concept rolls on 225/45 R 19 tires—a size which may or may not make it to the production model.
Since its introduction, the Legacy has been Subaru’s core model, selling 3.6 million units since 1989.
By Ulysses Ang
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