2011 Subaru Legacy Limited 2.5i on 2040-cars

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2015 Subaru Legacy spills out ahead of Chicago

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.

Subaru Levorg: Forbidden fruit

For Subaristas, the Levorg needs no introduction. Fans of the marque have been begging Subaru of America (SOA) to bring it over here from the moment it was first introduced. First introduced in Japan a year or so ago, and now making its way across the globe, it is one delicious wagon that SOA refuses to let Americans taste. Why? Wagons don't sell in America, so they say (some Euro-brands might disagree with that). Plus they seem to think they have the wagon market pretty well covered with the Outback, Forester, and to a lesser degree, the Crosstrek. First a bit of history Unlike here in America, at least in recent years, a Legacy wagon continued to exist in other markets. At some point Subaru decided to also delete it from their global portfolio, and to replace it with the smaller, sportier and well-equipped Levorg. The thinking was that the Levorg would be more distinct from the Outback than a Legacy wagon, and would be less likely to step on the Outback's toes in terms of searching for customers; makes sense. Another point needs to be made: Subaru is selling at record levels. They just can't make them fast enough as they are constrained by lack of production capacity. That will improve soon as the next-gen Impreza will be built in their Indiana plant this fall once the Toyota Camry production moves out. So, at the moment, they don't need the Levorg to improve sales. Down the road that may be a different situation, but for now adding another model line would be tough and of little benefit. Why America needs the Levorg When Subaru introduced the current generation WRX they deleted the hatchback — which accounted for 50 percent of WRX sales. Needless to say WRX 5-door owners were outraged — and continue to be so. The Levorg wagon could be the perfect answer for these folks, as shares many parts with the WRX. In Japan it's available with a new 1.6L direct-injection turbo as well as the same 2.0L direct-injection turbo found in the WRX. Other markets, to date, only get the 1.6L engine. All Levorgs have CVTs, with the 2.0 versions getting the high-torque CVT found in the WRX CVT. The chassis setup, while a tad softer, is very close to that of the WRX. So it is definitely a car that's cut out for canyon-carving. It's also more upscale than the WRX, with an interior more akin to luxurious trim levels of the Legacy and Outback. In its defense Subaru has claimed that the budget did not allow for developing both the Levorg and a 5-door WRX.

2018 Subaru Forester joins the black-out bandwagon with Black Edition

People apparently love black-painted trim. Nissan, Chevrolet, and Honda have all recently offered special-edition packages to ditch chrome and color-coded parts for the dark hue, and Subaru is the latest to join the party. Its offering comes in the form of the 2018 Forester Black Edition. The package is only available on the 170-horsepower, naturally aspirated, Forester 2.5i Premium. It also costs an extra $1,150. For that money, you get the following in the eponymous color: 18-inch wheels, fog light trim, badges, mirror caps, and the grille. Inside, the interior is also black. The steering wheel and shifter are leather-wrapped, and the upholstery is cloth with faux leather bolsters. The package isn't all aesthetics, though. It also comes with steering LED headlights and paddle shifters for the CVT, allowing the driver to pick from six preset ratios. The latter feature was previously exclusive to the turbocharged Forester 2.0XT. The package also comes on the heels of the 2018 model introduction. There aren't many notable updates to this year's Forester, however. All trim levels except Touring increase in price by $200. All Touring models jump by $1,795. The Touring's large price jump comes with now-standard reverse automatic emergency braking and high-beam assist. The 2.0XT Touring also now has torque vectoring similar to that in the WRX line. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Subaru Forester Black Edition Image Credit: Subaru Subaru Crossover Economy Cars