Chicago Auto Show: Subaru to debut 2015 Legacy sedan
Subaru is on a roll lately, and the automaker hopes to continue its momentum in February by introducing the next generation of its mid-size Legacy sedan.
The company announced Thursday that the production version of the 2015 Legacy will debut at the Chicago Auto Show on Feb. 6.
“The all-new Legacy offers a sleeker, more coupe-like profile with a faster windshield rake angle and narrower A-pillars that create a sporty and modern sedan,” Subaru said in a brief statement.
Though that’s all the company would officially disclose, don’t expect huge surprises in the new Subie’s drivetrain. All-wheel-drive will be standard, as it is on all Subarus (except the BRZ sports car). A 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine will likely be under a majority of Legacy hoods, paired with a six-speed manual transmission or a CVT gearbox.
What will be interesting to watch will be how Subaru handles the top of the new Legacy lineup. The premium engine on the outgoing Legacy is a 3.6-liter, six-cylinder unit that makes 256 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque.
But Subaru has been putting a turbocharged four, which gets nearly the same power with better fuel economy in a variety of its other models. Such a combination is irresistible to any automaker keeping an eye on the fuel-economy average of its vehicles. Stay tuned on this front.
The Legacy debut in Chicago continues a busy 12 months for Subaru. The company unveiled concept and then production versions of the WRX and WRX STI, high-performance iterations of the Impreza compact sedan. A concept Legacy was also shown at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show in November.
In December, Motor Trend named the Forester its SUV of the year for 2014, and in May, Consumer Reports ranked it at the top of small SUVs.
All this attention is helping to propel robust sales for Subaru. U.S. results for 2013 were the best ever, at 424,683 vehicles sold. That topped the record set a year earlier by 26%.
