The
first time I noticed and then fell in love with Subaru Legacy
was about 10 years ago when the twin-turbo Legacy RS and GT-B
were launched. 4-wheel-drive, wow, very Audi-like. Boxer engine
(or horizontally-opposed engine), very Porsche-like. 280
horsepower out of merely 2 litres, very supercar-like.
The next generation
launched in 1998 kept the format unchanged and continued to
shine in the eyes of driving enthusiasts. Its rivalry with
Mitsubishi Galant VR4 (the 280hp 2.5 twin-turbo V6, 4wd and 4ws,
if you remember) was once the hottest topic in Asian car
enthusiast circles. Those European journalists who tested them
suddenly found their fast Volvo T5 and Audi S-badge Avant
hopelessly slow, uninspiring and overpriced. "Long Live Legacy
and Galant !" the Asian cried.
But time has changed.
Mitsubishi discontinued Galant VR4 last year while the
5-year-old Legacy was finally overtaken by Alfa Romeo 156 GTA.
Undoubtedly, when the
new generation Legacy was launched earlier this year, one of the
targets must be clinching back the title as the world’s best
affordable sports sedan. I am confident about that, because
Subaru is always an engineering-driven company. First of all,
which company is brave enough to persist in employing boxer
engine and 4WD as standard even in the price of considerable
cost? answer: only Subaru. Second, which mainstream family car
is so keen on weight reduction, cutting 60-100kg from its
predecessor even though the car is larger and roomier in all
dimensions? answer: only Subaru Legacy.
Now
a little bit explanation to the second point. The new Legacy is
slightly longer, wider and taller than the last generation.
Wheelbase has been grown by 20mm thus the cabin is roomy.
Despite that, the flagship Turbo version called Legacy GT Spec B
weighs just 1430kg, some 100kg lighter than its predecessor. How
can it do that? firstly, as learned from parent company GM, its
chassis employs some cross-members made by hydroformed process -
a technique using liquid pressure to shape a metal tube with the
advantage of uniform thickness everywhere, thus improve
rigidity-to-weight ratio. Secondly, it uses steel body panels of
different thickness at different locations to fulfill the
required strength without wasting a single kilogram. Thirdly,
engine lid, front bumper beam and tailgate (for Wagon) are made
of aluminum to save weight, so is the control arms of rear
suspensions for the Turbo model, which is forged aluminum alloy.
The EJ20 boxer engine
is another focus of surgery. From spec, it seems unchanged.
Still 1994cc, same big bore short stroke combustion chambers,
single-cam 16-valve for the cheapest version (which pumps out
140hp), same twin-cam 16-valve for the next up version.... now
you suddenly discover this engine get more horsepower: 190hp
versus the previous 155hp. What’s going on? oh, it gets AVCS
variable valve timing at the intake valves, smoother intake and
exhaust manifolds, hollow camshafts, electronic throttle.... but
you also notice the new boxer engine sounds different - gone is
the traditional deep boxer bubble, replaced by a higher pitch
and quieter exhaust note. What’s the matter?
Open
the bonnet, you can easily see the exhaust routing is different.
By connecting the exhaust manifolds of opposite cylinders -
instead of adjacent cylinders - together, it takes advantage of
pulsation effect and increases low to mid-rev torque. That
explains the change of exhaust note. What you are unlikely to
discover is that the engine now sit 22mm lower in the chassis in
order to lower center of gravity. Also, you won’t notice the
engine block is new, being more resisting to heat expansion. In
fact, Subaru said the EJ20 is 80% new.
Open the bonnet of the
Turbo version and you will face a bigger surprise. No twin-turbo
any more. Now just one turbocharger and intercooler. You know
Legacy was renowned for its sequential twin-turbo, an
arrangement that activates one turbo at low rev and both turbo
at high rev. You know this enabled a linear and refined power
delivery, but if you remember my old report, in reality it was
not all that great, neither especially responsive nor as punchy
as Impreza’s single turbo engine.
Today, with the
advancement of technology, Legacy can employ a titanium turbine
to reduce the turbo lag of its single turbocharger. Compare with
the old twin-turbo, it is actually more responsive, improving
torque output at low to medium rev. That said, although peak
power and torque remains unchanged at 280hp and 253lbft, the new
Legacy turbo feels more punchy and more responsive.
How fast will it go?
there is no official figures yet, but considering the last
generation Legacy RSK was timed by Autocar to take 5.9 sec to
60mph, we can safely estimate the new Legacy GT, which is 100kg
lighter, can do it in no more than 5.5 sec. That should be
faster than its main rival Volvo S60R / V70R and Alfa Romeo 156
GTA. Top speed should easily reach 155mph, as the new Legacy is
aerodynamically efficient - Cd is 0.28 for the sedan (called B4)
and 0.30 for the estate (called Touring Wagon) which has a
higher roof.
Externally,
both B4 and Wagon evolves from the last generation. They still
look very Japanese, without the emotional shape of Alfa or
elegant finishing of Audi. However, the new headlamps look
definitely smarter than before and are million miles better than
Impreza’s. Inside, the cabin takes a big step forward in both
style and quality. It’s still no Alfa and Audi, but is already
one of the best cabin among family cars. I especially like the
driver-focused center console, which has been foolishly dumped
by BMW recently. Space is very good for 4 adults and their
luggage. Those who find Impreza too cramped will be happy with
the bigger car.
On the road, Subaru’s
expertise in handling is incomparable. The driver sits low and
have perfect all round visibility. All the controls are well
tuned - the steering is light yet feelsome, the clutch is
smooth, gearchange is slick. Plenty of traction from all 4
wheels. The car feels eager to turn into corners, showing far
less understeer than an Audi A4 Quattro.
Of course, being a
mid-size sedan, the Legacy does not corner as hard as the more
driver-focused Impreza. Its suspensions are set more compliant.
Body control hasn’t been sacrificed, however, because its
multi-link rear suspensions has better geometry than the
Impreza’s strut-type setup.
The most important is,
Legacy is willing to communicate with it driver. It inspires its
driver, giving him confidence to extract more from it. It is
this kind of involvement bring it more applause than the
supposedly superior Audi S4, which is quite a lot dearer. For
the price of an Alfa 156 GTA, this is a real bargain.
The only thing I would
like to improve is the 280hp engine. Although it is powerful, it
could use more displacement to deliver stronger torque and maybe
300 horsepower. But undoubtedly Subaru is reserving the best for
the forthcoming Legacy STi. I would be happy if it employ a
similar engine to the American Impreza STi. That means 500 more
cc, a full 300hp and 300 lbft. Think about it, Subaru.
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