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Subaru of Japan adds power options in the 2008 line with the new Legacy 3.0 R Limited, Subaru's flagship sedan packing the first six-cylinder engine for the Legacy series. Also new are the Impreza 2.5i and a souped-up performance variation, Impreza WRX, both with two body styles as a four-door sedan and five-door wagon. And Tribeca, Subaru's crossover utility vehicle (CUV), deletes a "B9" designation in its nameplate and also sheds provocative styling on the prow. All vehicles from Subaru carry a simple and economical all-wheel-drive (AWD) system.
Subaru's Tribeca CUV shows an elevated hood with revised fenders and headlamps plus a tall grille integrated into the smooth bumper. These modifications plus a conventional tail-side liftgate create the impression of a broader and taller CUV. Tribeca also gains a larger engine with increased power -- the 3.6-liter six-pack romps with 256 hp. It ties to a five-speed electronic automatic with SportShift mode for manual sequential shifting. Tribeca's AWD device employs electronic controls like variable torque distribution (VTD) and a stability system labeled Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) plus a four-wheel traction control system (TCS).
Mid-size Legacy -- four-door sedans and five-door station wagons -- shows variations. Entry comes with Legacy 2.5 i sedan and wagon, but there's the plush 2.5 i Limited sedan and wagon. Legacy 2.5 GT Limited sedan and wagon get a 2.5-liter four with turbo-charging and inter-cooling. Legacy GT Spec. B special edition has a heavy-duty six-speed manual gearbox and the turbo-charged 2.5-liter four rated to 243 hp. New Legacy 3.0 R Limited sedan has a boxer-six engine with 245 hp and VDC plus Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-DRIVE) performance controls, a Bilstein Sport Suspension and 18-inch wheels and tires.
New sheetmetal goes to Subaru's five-door Outback crossover, which works like a tall station wagon or dropped-down SUV. Outback offers multiple powertrains. Base engine is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder boxer pumping 170 hp through a five-speed manual transmission. It fits in Outback 2.5i and the uplevel 2.5i Limited. A turbo-charged boxer four-pack goes to Outback 2.5 XT Limited. Top models -- Outback 3.0 R and 3.0 R L. L. Bean tote Subaru's boxer six-cylinder that makes 245 hp through a five-speed SportShift automatic. Also aboard six-cylinder Outbacks is the SI-DRIVE.
More sophisticated body styling applies to Subaru's compact Impreza cars -- a four-door sedan and five-door wagon. The cabin size expands with more room for passengers in a twin-cockpit layout. Trims include Impreza's 2.5i and the Outback Sport Special Edition with a spoiler on the back gate. Impreza 2.5i uses Subaru's new 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder engine making 170 hp. Curtain-style side air bags and an anti-lock brake system (ABS) are stock items for 2008 editions and VDC skid controls are available. Also on the option sheet of Impreza is a dashboard navigation system.
Subaru commemorates its trophy-collecting rally cars by producing sedan and wagon variations of Impreza WRX, a small package with wide track and independent suspension plus turbo-charging of a horizontally-opposed engine tied to a close-ratio manual transmission and AWD traction. New WRX carries a 2.5-liter turbo flat-four boxer engine which delivers 224 hp and 226 lb-ft of torque.
The chassis of a sporty coupe -- Subaru's Impreza -- underpins agile Forester the sport utility vehicle (SUV). It offers turbo-charged and naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder engines. Trims cap at the deluxe Forester 2.5 XT Limited with premium features. Entry issue Forester 2.5 X gets a Premium Package plus power moonroof, while Forester 2.5 XT Limited is the turbo model with leather upholstery and a power moonroof. Subaru's 2.5-liter boxer four makes 173 hp, but applying a turbo-charger and inter-cooler pushes points up to 224 hp.
