Subaru Legacy
| Subaru Legacy | |
|---|---|
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|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Subaru (Fuji Heavy Industries) |
| Also called | Subaru Liberty (Australia only) Subaru B4 Subaru Legacy B4 (sedan) |
| Production | 1989–present |
| Assembly |
Ōta, Gunma Japan Lafayette, Indiana |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class |
Compact car (1989–1994) Mid-size car (1995–present) |
| Body style | 4-door "B" pillar hardtop (1989–2009) 4-door sedan (2009–present) 5-door station wagon |
The Subaru Legacy is a mid-size car built by Japanese automobile manufacturer Subaru since 1989. Part of the original design goals for the Legacy model was to provide Subaru a vehicle in which they could compete in the lucrative North American midsize market against competitors Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Mazda6, and Nissan Altima. Higher performance variants of the Legacy are offered as competitive alternatives to compact executive cars such as the Audi A4, Alfa Romeo 159 and BMW 3 Series. The Legacy also serves as Subaru's flagship car.
In 1996, a variant of the Legacy with heightened suspension called the Legacy Outback was introduced to compete in the burgeoning sport-utility vehicle class and proved to be a sales success for Subaru. The Outback line was split into its own model in 2000, known as the Subaru Outback.
It is unique in its class for offering all wheel drive as a standard feature, and Subaru's traditional boxer engine. The Legacy bears the name Liberty in Australia out of deference to Legacy Australia, an organisation dedicated to caring for the families of military service veterans. As of 2008, 3.6 million Legacies have been built since its 1989 introduction.
The introduction of the Legacy was a notable departure from Subaru products in the past. The Legacy was formally released January 23, 1989 in Japan, with an introductory price of ¥2,550,000 for the turbocharged RS (approx. USD $18,800 at 1989 yen exchange rate). The first Legacy was available at Japanese dealerships on February 1, 1989, with worldwide distribution starting in 1990.
Subaru had earned a reputation of building vehicles that were regarded as quirky and other Asian manufacturers were bringing more upscale and conventional appearing models to the market. The Legacy broke with many Subaru traditions, such as no longer locating the spare tire in the engine compartment, behind the engine and above the transmission, a tradition started with the 1966 Subaru 1000. The Legacy was an all-new model, and positioned above the Leone, XT, Justy, and kei cars Rex and Sambar in Subaru's model range at the time. The Legacy also introduced an entirely new flat-4 engine series, called the Subaru EJ engine, which was quieter and more powerful than the previous Subaru EA engine.
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