2015 Subaru Legacy spills out ahead of Chicago

Tue, 04 Feb 2014

Subaru has been one of the industry's hottest automakers, recording record sales month after month. Those handsome figures have come largely on the backs of its crossover lineup, however – models like Forester, Outback and XV Crosstrek have been carrying all the water. The Japanese marque has seen less noteworthy performance out of its midsize sedan, the Legacy, but a new one is slated to be revealed later this week at the Chicago Auto Show, and it hopes to improve the company's family sedan fortunes.

Leaked here in these first photos, the 2015 Legacy picks up some cues from the brash Legacy Concept revealed at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, but it loses some impact and gains a pair of rear doors versus the showcar. There's little new visual ground broken, but the overall look is more harmonious than its balloon-fendered predecessor. As is often the case, it has features that make us think of other cars, but overall, it looks to be a handsome (if conservative) design. We particularly like the sleeker roofline and the bold front grille treatment – the latter will likely serve well as the face of the next Outback.

Subaru has traditionally offered function-over-form interiors, and while the new dashboard remains visually staid, it looks to have picked up a number of nice new features, including improved HVAC controls, a new steering wheel and freshened touchscreen navigation system.

No word yet on what lurks underneath, but as ever, we're expecting standard all-wheel drive and a naturally aspirated boxer four-cylinder at the bottom end of the range – either the company's 2.0-liter engine or its 2.5-liter four shared with the Impreza and Forester. No word on the likelihood of the six-cylinder model returning, but it's possible that the turbocharged WRX engine could appear under its hood as a premium offering.

By Chris Paukert