Rob Maetzig
The biggest-ever Subaru Legacy sedan has arrived in New Zealand – and now it is aiming to pinch sales from the traditional Aussie large car, as outlines.
The timing and the location couldn’t have been better for Subaru New Zealand to show off its new sixth-generation Legacy sedan. The plan was for the motoring media to drive the car, which is available in 2.5-litre four cylinder and 3.6-litre six cylinder forms, from Christchurch to Blenheim.
A storm hit the South Island the day before the event, which left inland roads greasy from rain and snow, and parts of the coastal highway through Kaikoura were covered in debris thrown up by heavy seas. And that was the perfect environment for a winning performance by a sizeable and powerful sedan offering the added security of all-wheel drive.
SUV fans or ute owners might have argued that a big higherriding AWD vehicle would have done the job just as well. But, as Subaru NZ boss Wally Dumper said at the beginning of the event, not everyone wants a truck.
‘‘There are a whole lot of people in New Zealand who like big sedans. We know there are many Kiwis facing the challenge of change in the next few years as they try to find an alternative to their large rear-wheel drive Australian car. Well, we’ve got the biggest-ever Legacy sedan.
‘‘This is not a front-wheel drive scratcher, but a big and powerful car with the added benefit of allwheel drive.’’
As the fleet of Legacys motored along the undulating and winding roads through inland Kaikoura, it was hard to argue against that. These medium-sized Subarus have enjoyed a big reputation for their abiility right from the time the first-generation model was launched in 1989, and this latest version easily adds to that reputation.
Importantly it is also a big car, and its arrival comes at a time when the future of the Australian large cars Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon is now very limited. Australian vehicle assembly operations are scheduled to shut down for good in 2017, and when that happens there will be a big opportunity for any mass-market product of similar size and price to increase sales.
Dumper claimed the latest Legacy, which is available as a sedan only, has dimensions that are ‘‘within millimetres’’ of the Commodore and Falcon.
‘‘So we are targeting that segment of the market with this car – the segment filled with customers who traditionally tend to buy larger and more powerful cars,’’ he said. ‘‘We want the Legacy to appeal to those who don’t want an SUV. Even if we grab 4 per cent of the market segment, that will sell all of the 150 Legacys we have been allocated for the remainder of this year.’’
Two versions of the Legacy have been launched, both featuring prices that are substantially down on the cars they replace. A four cylinder 2.5I Sport carries a price of $39,990 which is $5000 less than the previous 2.5-litre model, and a six cylinder 3.6-litre Legacy RS costs $49,990 which is $8000 less than the model it replaces. For the first time it is not being offered in wagon form – that job is being left to the Legacy-based Outback wagon that was launched a few months ago.
The new sedan is a goodlooking car that offers plenty of interior room. Compared to the previous Legacy there is 10mm more distance between the front seats which has helped result in 42mm more shoulder room, 43mm more elbow room and 35mm more hip room, and headroom has also been increased by 10mm. Front seat slide rails have also been altered to open up 30mm more rear legroom, and the rear seat height has been raised 10mm for more natural and comfortable seating.
Boot volume has also been increased by 17 litres so there is now a very good 493 litres with the rear seats in use, and this increases substantially when the 60:40 split/fold rear seats are folded down.
Both models offer a high level of standard specification, including Subaru’s EyeSight twincamera system which keeps an eye on what’s ahead and helps avoid collisions by warning the driver and even taking over the braking when things get too close. The infotainment system now features speech recognition for a number of functions, and the 3.6RS has satellite navigation with live traffic updates in the major urban areas of Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington and Christchurch.
Legacy’s 2.5-litre engine has undergone substantial improvement, with an emphasis on more accessible power in the low to mid-revs range. It produces 129 kilowatts of power and 235 newton metres of torque which is slightly more than before, and average fuel consumption has been reduced by 7.6 per cent to 7.3 L100km. Meanwhile, the 3.6-litre six offers an unchanged 191kW and 350Nm, but fuel consumption has been cut 3.9 per cent to 9.9 L/100m.
For the first time the 3.6-litre engine is mated with Subaru’s very good Lineartronic continusally vairable automatic transmission – the same as that aboard the 2.5-littre version. The auto has been further refined for improved efficiency, and it features the step control found on the WRX. Both models also have paddle shifters on the steering wheel for six-speed manual use if desired.
During that South Island drive both of these engines combined well with their transmissions. The Lineartronic must rate as one of the best CVTs around, offering stepless gearing when there is little accelerator use, to stepped gearing with next to no shift shock when the pedal input is greater.
Both models also feature Subaru’s Si-Drive which lets the driver select engine and transmission characteristics to suit desired driving style. The 2.5i offers two such modes, Intelligent and Sports, while the 3.6RS adds Sports and Sports Sharp which both maximimise engine performance and response. In addition, Lineartronic also has active control which controls gearshifts depending on road conditions and gradients. It’s all very intelligent and adds to what can be a powerful drive in both Legacy variants.
Naturally both the models are also all-wheel drive, and the AWD system is electronically controlled with the base torque distribution being a 60:40 front-rear split. During driving the AWD’s onboard computer continually adjusts this torque distribution to take acceleration and cornering.
Immediate impression of this new Subaru is that it is an athletic car, one of the best-handling on the market. Add to this that the Legacy is now bigger, and it seems almost a certainty that the brand will easily sell its 2015 allocation of 150 cars. We’re picking Wally Dumper and his team will already be pushing for a much bigger allocation of Legacys for next year.