The 2015 Subaru Legacy picks up some cues from the Legacy Concept unveiled last November.
If you’re having a sense of déjà vu (all over again, as Yogi Berra liked to say), no surprise. We’ve been seeing a lot about the 2015 Subaru Legacy in recent months, including images that leaked out earlier this week, as well as the Subaru Legacy Coupe Concept that the Japanese maker introduced during the Los Angeles Auto Show just last November.
But, folks, this is the real deal. The actual 2015 Subaru Legacy has made its entrance into McCormick Place and will now be ready to meet its public during this year’s Chicago Auto Show.
Finally, it seems, we have real specs to share, rather than endless rumors and speculation.
So, what do we have to reveal? For one thing, the production car is clearly not quite as aggressive as the concept vehicle – nothing surprising there, of course. And the 2015 Legacy gets two more doors than the LA show car.
Subaru upgrades its safety options with the new Legacy and expects a Top Safety Pick+ rating.
But it maintains a more coupe-like roofline than the traditional Legacy line of the past, with a more sporty and aggressive feel. And t it does pick on the concept’s more distinctive elements, starting with the more aggressive “hawkeye” headlamps and revised hexagonal grille. Grille and bumper are now combined into a sleeker looking new “nosecone.”
Gone, meanwhile, are the bulbous fenders of the outgoing Legacy. And the overall look is much more refined and well integrated. The car also adopts a new, lighter-weight aluminum grille.
Perhaps more significant than the exterior redesign, Subaru has given the interior of the 2015 Legacy a makeover. The Japanese marque has traditionally opted for basic, functional cabins that do their job but which haven’t exactly offered a sense of luxury. The new design – which includes a revised steering well and new touchscreen infotainment system — is decidedly more upscale in appearance while seeming to retain the ergonomic layout that Subaru customers appreciate.
They’re also likely to appreciate the fact that there’s a lot more room in the interior, Subaru claiming to offer “the largest passenger cabin in the midsize segment,” even though the actual footprint of the 2015 model is slightly smaller than the sedan it replaces.
The 2015 Legacy offers two powertrain options.
Also likely to appeal are the improvements in fuel economy, the addition of new standard torque vectoring, the upgrading of the Subaru EyeSight system, and the addition of such safety features as Blind Spot Detection, Lane Change Assist and Cross Traffic Alert.
Let’s start with powertrain options. Buyers of the 2015 Subaru Legacy will have two options, a four-cylinder 2.5i model available in Standard, Premium and Limited trim lines, accompanied by the top-of-line six-cylinder 3.6R Limited. Both come standard with Subaru’s Lineartronic CVT and Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive and, as noted, now can shift, or vector, torque precisely to the wheel that needs it most, especially in a corner where power normally goes to the outer wheels.
Though the 2015 Legacy has a slightly smaller footprint, Subaru claims it delivers the largest interior in the midsize segment.
The smaller engine makes 175-horsepower (up two from before) and 174 pound-feet of torque and delivers a strong – though not segment-topping 26 mpg City, 36 Highway and 30 Combined. The Boxer-6 turns out 256-hp and 247 lb-ft and is EPA-rated at 20/28/23.
(First images of 2015 Subaru Legacy leaked. For more, Click Here.)
All trim lines get more features than before. The top Limited trim line models, for example, now feature two-position memory for the 10-way power driver’s seat; a 4-way power front passenger seat; three-mode heated front seats (also standard for Premium) and dual-mode heated rear seats; rear seat air conditioning vents and a high-end surround sound audio system with 12 harman/kardon® speakers.
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Even base models now feature a 60/40 split/fold rear seat.
The safety features are extensive, though the most groundbreaking element of the Subaru package is the camera-based EyeSight system which combines such useful elements as Forward Collision Warning and Lane Departure Warning – and now Lane Change Assist – by relying on a stereoscopic camera unit mounted above the rearview mirror. The camera system is improved, Subaru claims, which should mean better functionality. Now, add other new features such as the radar-guided Rear Cross Traffic Alert which helps watch for oncoming vehicles when, for example, you back out of a mall parking spot.
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Subaru has upgraded the basic crash structure to meet the tough new IIHS small offset test and the maker says it anticipates getting a Top Safety Pick+ award.
The 2015 Subaru Legacy will roll into showrooms this summer. No word, yet, on pricing.