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Private Fleet Car Review: 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander XLS.
Mitsubishi’s medium sized SUV has grown considerably since it was released back in the mid noughties. Now looking nothing like the original donor car, the Lancer, it’s gone from a smallish, angular, almost “runt of the litter” look, (with a paltry four speed auto underneath), to a rounded off, handsome, male oriented look with its most recent update.
A Wheel Thing was bookmarked for the top of the range Exceed diesel, however a minor scheduling hiccup (ok, Mitsubishi needed it more than I did), saw a transfer into the mid range seven seater, the XLS, complete with 2.4L four cylinder petrol engine.
Normally we’d look at the engine first, however the most notable changes have been to the exterior so:
The Suit.
The changes are not insubstantial but are limited to the nose cone and tail light clusters. At the rear, the lights now spread across into the (non power operated) tail gate whilst the design has been modified slightly from before, sporting a “neon light” effect, plus a new chrome strip joins the two assemblies.
The rear bumper has also been refined, with exhaust tips now integrated into the fairing for the top model, with the XLS retaining a single right hand exhaust underneath the redesigned bumper.
At the front, the bulbous and blobby look has been replaced; there’s chromework aplenty (a Japanese style change as Mitsubishi’s competitors have also gone the bright work look) contrasting with a blackout treatment between the now sharper edged headlights. The XLS sports LED driving lights around the reduced area and more angular cluster.
The bumper itself now has a sharper delineation horizontally, with two thickish chrome strips (rsembling a C on the left and mirror imaged on the driver’s side) bracketing a two bar grille and a centre aligned blackout. The outer edges have been reprofiled, holding onto the globelit driving lights there.
It’s more edgy and male oriented, it seems, tying in with the advertising.
In profile, there’s not much else to set the 2016 model apart from its immediate predecessor, apart, perhaps, from some too subtle to be noticed sheetmetal changes, however there’s a alloy look strip added to the lower extremities of the doors. Down below, there’s some attractive alloys, 18 inch diameter with 225/55 tyres, with a full sized spare available.
Powersource.
It’s Mitsubishi’s well proven 2.4L petrol four cylinder, with 124 kW and 220 metres of Mr Newton’s torque, at a high-ish 4200 revs. That rev point is crucial, as we’ll discuss later. Gearbox wise, it’s a CVT, with the now almost mandatory six program points. Power is put down through all four wheels and the car has a lockable centre differential should you choose to do a bit of off roading.
There’s a 60 litre tank for the donk to drink from and it’ll take almost any unleaded you can throw at it. Economy is rated by Mitsubishi as 7.2L per 100 kilometres on a combined cycle.
On The Inside.
Anyone having the 2013/14/15 model will immediately feel at home on the inside. A Mitsubishi strength has been ergonomics and there’s little to not like here. There’s the normal, chunky but not too chunky, steering wheel, the same design layout for the buttons for audio and Bluetooth, the dash with its full colour screen in between the dials and a piano black surround for the navitainment screen.
That sits atop the wonderfully simple layout for the aircon controls, a long standing highlight for the Outlander. Comprised of two round rocker switches for the driver and passenger’s zone for temperature, one for the fan speed and separate buttons for the rest, it’s a delight in its simplicity and utterly useful.
Mitsubishi’s website claims the XLS (and Exceed) have DAB (digital radio), I don’t recall seeing that on the screen. Navigation usage is simple, and best done when a vehicle is stationary, as certain required fields can’t be accessed with a vehicle in motion.
There’s seven seats, five for the main intended usage and two strap operated fold up/down seats in the rear, which doubles as a cargo area. With the rear seats up, there’s a mere 128 L; down, there’s 477 L. With the middle row folded flat, that jumps to 1608 L.
Plastics are of a somewhat more refined look and feel, with a general feeling of being a little higher class than before. The seats themselves have, in the XLS, a different cloth weave, however still feeling lacking is bolstering, side support, with lateral grip applied by the weave and not the cushions.
Ignition is key operated, in the XLS, with the Exceed getting keyless start and behind the tiller are paddle shifts.
On The Road.
Two very noticeable situations with the XLS in the week it was with A Wheel Thing. The torque the 2.4L generates may be fine with a hydraulic gearbox, offering reasonable if not scintillating, performance. That’s further dulled by the CVT, with overtaking on straights requiring a lot of prior planning and hoping another vehicle wouldn’t suddenly appear coming the other way. The other was the surprising amount of lack of front end grip on damp roads.
The XLS was showcased by taking it south of Sydney to the beautiful seaside town of Kiama for a weekend. There were two trips further south to Nowra, accessed by the Pacific Highway, with some stunning views and long sweeping curves. As, at the time of review, Sydney had been inundated with constant rain, the roads were wet, to say the least. In areas where the roads were signposted at a certain speed, there was unexpected understeer, to the point that velocities were reduced to levels under what would normally have been expected. This, from all four corners being driven and all three AWD modes being selected, just in case.
The actual steering ratio feels to be between 3.5 to 4 turns, lock to lock.
On dry roads, that understeer all but disappeared, leading to speculation that the tyres weren’t in harmony with the steering under the wet circumstances. The dry weight of the car is 1535 kg, towing capacity is 1600 kg; with four aboard plus fuel let’s call it two tonnes to haul around. Peak torque at over 4000 revs just doesn’t suit the CVT and the XLS’ intended usage, I certainly don’t believe any exuberant off road work would…well, work.
Ride quality was taut, without being jolting, with just the right balance of compliance before tightening up. It’s a flat ride, for the most part, minimal body roll with dive and rear end squat under acceleration invisible. Acceleration itself, with four aboard and not really a great deal of luggage, was spartan in its appeal. Full pedal movement had the Outlander under way with a leisurely stride, with no real hurry to see the needle move around the dial. Braking, on the other hand, started with one of the best balanced and modulated pedals around, with a bite, enough to give confidence, as soon as the pedal was pushed and stayed progressive through its travel.
The Wrap.
The Outlander range certainly has the appearance of having lost weight, visually, by reducing the roundness front and rear. The sharper edges to the headlights, to the front trim and the extension of the rear lights into the tailgate give a semblance of flattening the Outlander and providing a more assertive look.
The interior is still a delight in its ergonomic usefulness, it’s certainly corfortable enough (lack of side support, not withstanding) and on dry roads grips like a limpet. The wet drive performance in corners, well….and that lacklustre engine dull down the experience too much.
Pricing will vary depending on your location and insurer, according to Mitsubishi’s online price calculator but figure on around the $40K mark driveaway. It will be interesting to finally sample the diesel but from previous experience we don’t anticipate the dearth of life the 2.4L petrol has.
Go here: http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com.au/vehicles/outlander/specifications/outlander-2-4l for details on the 2.4L range.
The Car.
Engine: 2.4L, four cylinder.
Fuel: 90RON unleaded and above.
Power/Torque: 124 kW/220 Nm @ 6000/4200 rpm.
Transmission: Constant Variable Transmission, with six preprogrammed ratios.
Economy: 7.6L/100 km (no other figures available).
Seating: seven, two rear fold down, 60/40 split fold middle row.
Dimensions (L x W X H in mm): 4695 x 1810 x 1640.
Wheelbase/Ride Height: 2670 mm/ 190 mm (unladen).
Weight (dry): 1535 kg.
Cargo: 128L/477L/1608L depending on seating configuration.
Service/Warranty: refer to the Mitsubishi website for terms and conditions.
New Wheels: What's On The Way For Australia.
Holden and Toyota have released details of what Australia can expect to see in the near future; Toyota with its rebodied and updated (for the interior) Camry whilst Holden has shown off the Euro sourced models, including the all wheel drive Insignia from Opel. Let’s take a look.
Toyota.
It’s the Camry, but not as we know it. Key to the new model, which will be the final Australian built version, is a classy and assertive new look. Design hints have already been seen in the Corolla and Yaris, plus Toyota’s sports car arm, Lexus, with a familiar profile backed at either end with some knife sharp angles for tail and head light enclosures.
The profile looks almost unchanged from the outgoing model, viewed directly side on, however the tail light extends further into the rear quarter panel, not unlike a Lexus design from some years ago. The front end is more dramatic, with a sweeping design for the headlights starting from a teardrop before terminating in a blade like design.
Power from the 2.5L four is 133 kW in the Altise, with a dual exhaust system bumping it to 135 kW in the Atara range. If it’s grunt you want, it may be worth checking the Hybrids; an “Atkinson Cycle” 2.5L engine delivers 151 kW plus the electric motor adds in another 105 kW
One aspect of the front, which is sure to raise eyebrows and provoke discussion, is the whale shark mouth look the new air intake grilles have. Flanked, as they are, by forward leaning vertical LED driving lights, the sloping angles of the outermost parts may be a bit much for sensitive souls.
There’s seven models: Altise, Atara S, SX and SL, with sharper pricing, making it the cheapest Camry for 18 years, for the American designed Camry, plus three hybrids. Locally, Toyota has sold over thirty thousand hybrids, more than the Prius range.
2015 Toyota Camry Pricing:
- Altise petrol — $26,490 (down $4500) or $28,990 drive-away (d/a)
- Altise hybrid — $30,490 (down $5000) or $32,990 d/a
- Atara S petrol — $29,490 (down $4500) or $31,990 d/a
- Atara S hybrid — $32,490 or $34,990 d/a
- Atara SX petrol — $31,990 or $34,490 d/a
- Atara SL petrol — $37,440 (down $2550) or $39,940 d/a
- Atara SL hybrid — $40,440 (down $1050) or $42,90 d/a
There’s some new specs as well. The Altise cops seven airbags, a 6.1 inch touchscreen, 16 inch wheels, (hybrids then offers keyless entry and start), dual zone climate control and a full colour TFT info display for the driver. The Atara S gets 17 inch alloys, electric driver’s pew, twin exhaust and paddle shifters for the auto.
The Atara SX gets 18 inch alloys with Bridgestone Turanza tyres, a heighted suspension and damper tune level and a more responsive steering rack. There’s leather accented seats and some body work. Finally, the Atara SL gets some tech with pre-crash and autonomous braking technology, active cruise control and lane departure alerting, plus blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert.
Design wise, there’s not merely the proverbial raft of changes, there’s a container ship full, with more than 800 parts redesigned or reengineered under the watchful eye of American design studio, Calty. Only the roof has been untouched. A redesigned bonnet flows into a pronounced side crease, drawing the eyes from a more muscular front fender through the door handles before finishing over the rear lights, now fitted with LEDs.
Each variant gets their own wheels, with Altise staying on 16 inch wheels, the entry and mid range Atara getting 17’s whilst the top range Atara receives 18’s, a first for Camry.
Private Fleet’s Dave will bring you a review in late June.
Holden
Holden released details recently of the Insignia VXR, alongside the Cascada convertible and Astra GTC and VXR. Sourced from Germany’s Opel, the GTC (with GTC Sport) packs a 1.6L turbo with 125 kW/260 Nm for the auto whilst the manual Sport cops 147 kW/280 Nm. Some engineering for the front driven car’s suspension sees “a shortened spindle length and reduced kingpin inclination to prevent the torque steer so often seen in powerful front-wheel-drive cars. “
There’s sport’s oriented seats, with extra bolstering for the Sport, Holden’s MyLink entertainment system, satnav and 19 inch alloys.
The Astra VXR ups the ante, with a 2.0L powerhouse offering 206 kW and a monstrous 400 Newton metres of torque. To haul that in, there’s Brembo brakes up front. Also up front (and back) is Astra’s much vaunted FlexRide suspension tune, offering the discerning driver Standard, sport and VXR suspension tunes alongside engine mapping and steering changes. It’ll roll on 20 inch rims and cosset the front passengers with power bolstering in the seats alongside eight way adjustments.
The Cascada, formerly known as the Astra convertible, lobs with the 1.6L and auto, offers a folding, triple acoustic layered, roof that will close in 17 seconds whilst the car is in motion at speed up to 50 km/h and perforated leather seats for that luxury touch.
Holden quotes pricing as, excluding dealer delivery and government charges :
- Astra GTC, manual $26,990
- Astra GTC, automatic $29,190
- Astra GTC Sport, manual $29,990
- Astra GTC Sport, automatic $32,190
- Astra VXR, manual $39,990
The Insignia VXR
This will shape up to be a hero model for Holden; all wheel drive, 2.8L turbocharged V6, Adaptive Cruise, Auto Emergency Braking, 239 kW and 435 Nm. Heated Recaro seats, eight inch touch screen, forward collison alert, side blind spot alert, lane change alert plus the Flex Ride Suspension.
Private Fleet Car Review: 2016 Subaru Outback 3.6L.
Australia has had a love affair with station wagons for decades; sadly, new Aussie made wagons will cease in 2017 when Holden closes local manufacturing. Happily, there’s still wagon options available and Subaru’s evergreen Outback is a classy choice for the discerning driver. A Wheel Thing’s garage had the company of this classic for a week.
Powersource.
3.6L. Horizontally opposed “boxer” engine. 191 kilowatts at 6000 revs and 350 torques at 4400. Economy levelled out at 8.5L per 100 in predominantly suburban driving (Subaru quotes 7.5L highway, 9.9L combined and an exceptionally unhealthy 14.2L per 100 km urban, from a 1700 kg wagon!) The fuel tank is 60L in size and can be filled with 91RON.
The transmission is a CVT, a constant variable tranmission, allowing the Outback 3.6L to run to 100 klicks in around eight seconds. You can choose to shift manually via paddles at the rear of the steering wheel, with six programmed shift points to choose from.
The Suit.
There’s just over 21 cm of ground clearance to play with; the wagon body has been given the polyurethane add-on treatment, with front, rear and sill panels copping a lashing of black, allowing some good softroading thanks to the height and extra panel safety.
The extra sheetmetal at the rear allows some usable cargo room, at 512 litres with the seats up and a gargantuan 1801 with the seats down. Staying with the rear, the tail light design echoes the sedan’s design plus continues the curve on the leading edge of the cluster. Both ends also get a aluminuim strip in the centre.
The front features the Outback’s traditional look, with globe lit driving lights pushed to each bottom corner and surrounded by acres of plastic. The redesigned front features a smaller (and far better looking) head light cluster, with a more integrated shape, trimming the overly edgy shape the previous model suffered.
Atop the Outback is a pair of rails, giving the wagon a total height of 1675 mm; with a total length of 4815 mm and width of 1840, sitting on a wheelbase of 2745mm, it’s a larger car than the metal makes it look.
On The Inside.
Subaru have taken a soft broom to the interior; soft touch plastics, supple leather and its usual ergonomic approach add up for a classy look. Starting at the rear, there’s that aforementioned cavern for a cargo space, accessed via a powered tailgate. Adding to the class is a memory function, to store the level of height the ‘gate opens to.
Seats.
Although heated (not cooled) and comfortable they lack support, to the side and underneath. There’s a feeling of sitting on, not in, them, and the lack of bolstering leaves an average sized person feeling as if they may slide left or right. Both driver and passenger seats are electrically operated in eight directions. At the Premium and 3.6L level, the squabs are perforated for that luxury look.
Rear Seats.
There’s a flat fold and 60/40 split ability, with the folding operated by a simple pull lever mechanism. The centre section naturally offers a fold out arm rest and drink holder. All four doors also have a bottle holder, as does the centre console.
Interior Design.
The driver and front passenger face a dash and upper console that is a subtle yet effective revamp of the previous (fifth) generation. Subaru have amortised costs by giving the same look across the range, immediately inviting a sense of familiarity. The driver’s display is clean, highlighted by that cobalt blue backlighting. An information screen shows on the fly fuel economy, any warning systems such as Lane Departure or Collision Avoidance (via the much vaunted Eyesight system), trip and distance.
The aircon system works and works well, with the Mode button cycling from defrost to footwell without the need, as in another brand, to press the same button to deselect the airflow direction. The quibble with the display is the oversized, in comparison, temperature display to the clock and outside temperature.
It’s a black look to the lower half of the cabin, yet it’s neither claustrophobic or excessively dominated by the colour, as the upper half is an off white shade, providing a pleasant contrast and airy feeling, plus a sunroof gives that little bit extra.
Subaru offer, depending on model, two different interior trims for the plastics, in this case the Premium is loaded up with piano black with silver highlights. For accessories to be powered up, there’s two 12V sockets to utilise, plus there’s Bluetooth streaming for music, voice command recognition, handsfree phone calling whilst the audio system in the 3.6L is American icon, Harman Kardon. It’s clear and punchy, with a well defined sound stage.
The steering wheel is chunky enough to give a decent surface area for the hands to wrap around on the leather, without stretching the fingers. There’s no sense of overloading the spokes with the various tabs and buttons for Cruise control, audio and information selection tabs on the lower left.
In the upper centre console is Subaru’s integrated touchscreen navitainment system; it’s a true delight to use in its simplicity and offers a wide range of information and features, accessible from the Home screen and sub-menus embedded within. Above that is the stereo camera installation for Eyesight: http://www.subaru.com.au/eyesight-technology.
On The Road.
Compared to the sedan tested previously, it’s much more composed, stable and feels much more planted on the road. There’s a sensation of less body roll, more grip, with just a hint of understeer, easily controlled by a gentle prod of the right foot. The brake pedal is a touch soft at the beginning of the travel, with no feel of bite. To me, it needs to start earlier, to alleviate any feeling some drivers may have of the brakes not gripping.
The splendid looking 18 inch alloys hold onto 225/60 Bridgestone Dueller tyres, a dual purpose semi offroad and tarmac oriented design. They’re quiet across the coarser chip roads and add to the confidence in handling the Outback offers up. Rid equality is possibly more oriented towards the sporty style, with a touch of initial compliance before firming up but not uncomfortably so.
Subaru quotes 7.8 seconds to reach 100 kilometres per hour with the 3.6L, it certainly feels capable enough indoing so, however, as good as the engineering is on their current crop of CVT’s, there’s still that seat of the pants feeling that a traditional auto could utilise the engine’s torque and power a touch more effectively. For the Outback, there’s also Hill Descent Control and a lockable centre diff.
Underway the car is mostly silent, bar the muted throb from the dual exhaust. Move too close to the centre or kerbside lines and you’ll trigger the Lane Departure warning system, with chimes aplenty. Thankfully, it’s a noise you can turn off. The Eyesight system offers adaptive cruise and a nifty feature alerting you if you’ve stayed still but the car ahead has moved on.
The Wrap.
Although seeming pricey at just over $50K, Subaru immediately passed on the dollar savings that a newly signed Free Trade Agreement brought to it. The Outback 3.6L comes with a solid features list, a comfortable interior, sweet ergonomics, plenty of family room but suffers from an excessively thirsty engine, from Subaru’s figures. The upside is that it’s a better looker than its predecessor and the increased sales figures reflect this.
For further details and pricing for your area: click here: http://www.subaru.com.au/outback/features
The Car: Subaru Outback.
Engine: 3.6L “boxer” or horizontally opposed six cylinder.
Power/Torque: 191 kW @ 6000 rpm/350 Nm @ 4400 rpm.
Transmission: CVT (constant variable transmission).
Fuel: 91RON.
Tank: 60 litres.
Economy: (City/highway/combined litres per hundred kilometres) 14.2/7.5/9.9.
Dimensions: (L x W x H in mm) 4815 x 1840 x 1675.
Wheelbase: 2745 mm.
Ride height: 210 mm.
Cargo: 512L/1801L (seats up/lowered).
Private Fleet Car Review: 2016 Subaru Liberty Premium 2.5L Sedan
Subaru has been an integral part of the Australian motoring landscape for close to five decades now and has sold solidly, if not spectacularly. That looks set to change, if March 2015 sales figures are anything to go by, thanks to the recent update to the Liberty range.
There’s an overall increase for the Japanese car maker of five percent for March, with a three point five percent increase on a year to date basis; Liberty itself sold 425 units whilst the ever popular Outlander moved an impressive and record setting 1180.
A Wheel Thing samples the 2016 Liberty sedan, in Premium spec and 2.5L engine, to see what’s been done to impress an increasing number of Aussies.
Powersource.
The test car was powered by Subaru’s dependable 2.5L petrol engine. It’s also the familiar flat or “boxer” four cylinder configuration, with a hint of the throb the engine is noted for being emitted via the now single pipe exhaust. Power and torque (129 kW/235 Nm @ 5800/4000 rpm) go to all four wheels via Subaru’s Lineartronic CVT.
As are all CVT’s nowadays, it’s programmed with shiftpoints, six in this case and allows manual selection via paddles on the steering wheel’s rear. Petrol is stored in a 60 litre tank, with the engine tuned to run on 91RON, with economy claimed to be at 6.3L/9.0L/7.3L per 100 kilometres (highway, urban, combined). It’s EURO6 compliant, with emissions pegged at 167 grams per kilometre.
The Suit.
The most overt sign of change is at the front, with a larger grille, a more upright look, an aluminuim bonnet and a more integrated headlight assembly, compared to the angular and over extended mess on the previous model. There’s globe lit driving lights on either side of the lower air intake, sitting deep inside the strakes of the aerodynamic front bar.
At the blunt end, tail lights are an evolution of the former, with a nicely styled look across the rear as they sit underneath the integrated rear deck spoiler.
There’s some minor panel join changes, however you’d have to be an “anorak” to notice them. In profile, there’s some minor changes to the rear window line, there’s two crease lines joining front and rear and the Liberty sits on 225/50/18 Dunlop rubber, wrapping some gorgeous 10 spoke bare metal and black painted alloys.
On The Inside.
Seats.
There’s two easily spotted and used buttons to heat the well padded but flat seats for driver and passenger, placed on the lower section of the centre console (no cooling?). The driver’s seat was fully electric, the passenger seat was manual. There’s some bolstering to the sides and hips however the overwhelming impression was sitting on, not in, the seats. The driver does get, though, a two position memory.
Dash and Console.
Simply stated: clean and uncluttered. A Wheel Thing appreciated good ergonomics and it’s here in bucketloads inside the Liberty range. The main dash dials are lit with a deep cobalt blue light, bisected by a full colour LCD screen with information showing instant fuel usage (expressed as a percentage), warnings such as Lane Departure and kilometres covered.
The centre dash console has a touchscreen, 7 inches on the Premium, with an elegant, almost piano black, look to the surrounds. There’s a set of menus, clearly laid out, taking you through to Settings, Navigation and more. It’s a clean and crisp look to the whole system and devilishly easy to use.
Heating and cooling is dual zone, with two large dials to select the temperature and a light gunmetal grey finish to the selection buttons. Temperatures are displayed in large and bright LCD’s; a downside to this section is the tiny clock display; it’s too small and needs to be relocated to a more visible point.
Steering Wheel.
It’s adjustable for reach (in/out) and rake (up/down), is well sized in diameter and has a good grip for the hand. There’s controls for audio on the left and Cruise Control on the right, with the aforementioned paddle shifts easily reached at fingertip length. Again, it’s an ergonomic highlight.
Driving wise, there’s also the SI Drive, featuring two electronic programs, being Intelligent and Sports.
Sound System.
The submenu is, again, easy to follow; there’s Bluetooth connectivity plus USB and Auxiliary, CD and six speakers (top of the range gets 12 speakers via Harman Kardon). It’s well weighted with the sound mix, enough bass to punch through and clear with midrange and treble giving a well defined sound stage, out of the box.
Safety.
Subaru has its proprietary radar system called Eyesight (see end of review). Mounted to the left and right of the rear vision mirror, much like human eyes and a nose, lay two cameras. They tie in with the cruise control, providing a distance and collision avoidance system, tail light recognition, pre-collision steering assist and more.
Naturally, there’s airbags aplenty and electronic assistance; acronyms abound with TCS, ABS, ECT and TVS, the latter standing for Torque Vectoring System, whereby torque from the all wheel drive is sent to the corner needing it most. Airbags feature for driver, passenger and rear seat with curtain ‘bags plus the driver gets a kneebag as well.
Other Highlights.
The front door arm rests have a blue LED highlighting the hand grab and there’s puddle lights in the bottom of the doors. Rear seats are 60/40 split fold and easy dropped down to a prone position via a lever at the top. There’s plenty of cargo space at 493L (seats up). Looking upwards, there’s a sunroof to provide some natural light.
On The Road.
It’s here that, for A Wheel Thing, this car displayed a considerable flaw. In this driver’s eyes, it’s the over sensitive and assisted steering setup. On pickup, the tyres were somewhat under pressured; when brought up to pressure, the ride hadn’t improved but the increase in tyre pressure was noticeable.
The steering had the Lane Departure warning system activating on a constant basis, such was the excess in assistance. Even the lightest of touches seemed to have the car veering left or right. To say it was disconcerting is an understatement. Left to its own devices, on a flat and straight surface, the car would track straight and true, but it rarely imbued the driver with a full feeling of confidence.
The suspension itself was well sprung, if a touch soft at times; again, that tyre pressure differential was noticeable. Over the short metal speed bumps in car parks, the give in the ride was apparent, however there was minimal body roll.
Acceleration is reasonable, not brisk, (Subaru says 9.6 seconds to 100 kilometres) with those torques coming in at a relatively high 4000, it takes a good shove of the go pedal to reach them. There’s also that unavoidable delay between Reverse and Drive, taking somewhere between a half and full second for forward motion to be re-engaged. braking is good, with enough of a progression on the pedal to not feel as if the system is underbraked.
The Wrap.
Subaru’s 2015/2016 range of Liberty variants are good lookers; it’s a definite case of quiet evolution and it’s working, judging by the numbers I’m seeing on the road, even though the car hasn’t been on sale for long. It’s a handsome enough looker, reasonably frugal if you don’t have a heavy right foot, full of safety features and the interior freshen up has given it some new life.
The over assistance in steering, the odd decision to shrink the clock to almost insignificance and the somewhat weird (on the test car) suspension pull the Liberty Premium back a couple of notches. Pricewise, it sits just under $40K driveaway, putting it within reach of the lower level Euro cars.
Backed by a three year, unlimited kilometre warranty (falling behind compared to the Koreans) and a 12 month Roadside Assistance package, there’s peace of mind included.
Follow the link for information and pricing for your area: http://www.subaru.com.au/liberty/specs
Specs.
Engine: 2.5L, horizontally opposed (boxer engine).
Power/torque: 129 kW, 235 Nm @ 5800/4000 rpm.
Fuel: petrol, 91RON compatible.
Tank: 60 litres.
Economy (claimed, city, highway, combined) 9.0L, 6.3L, 7.3L per 100 km.
Dimensions: 4795 x 1840 x 1500 (L x W x H in mm).
Weight: 1528 kg (tare).
Warranty: 3 years, unlimited kilometres, 12 month roadside assistance.
Cargo: 493L (rear seat raised)
Subaru’s 20/20 Vision Wins Over Starry-Eyed Judges
Subaru’s new generation EyeSight® driver assist system has won an innovation excellence award from respected researcher, Canstar Blue.
EyeSight is one of eight innovations recognised within the automotive industry for offering a range of new features and services available to Australian motorists, with safety a key aspect of many.
The system uses stereo cameras mounted at the top of the windscreen, capturing “live” images of the road ahead – helping car and driver to react instantly to potentially dangerous situations. This can help prevent collisions, or reduce impact damage.
Megan Doyle, Canstar Blue General Manager, said: “A great safety feature to have as standard on any vehicle, EyeSight by Subaru is not only innovative, but most importantly it could help prevent some of the needless collisions that occur on our roads every day.
“As a driver you would have to be super-human not to experience the odd moment of tiredness or dip in concentration behind the wheel, which could potentially lead to disastrous results.
“Fortunately Subaru has created what is essentially an extra pair of eyes – alerting a driver to potential collisions and helping to mitigate the consequences of them.
“We applaud Subaru for its innovation and dedication to improving the safety of both road-users and pedestrians.”
Subaru Australia Managing Director, Nick Senior, said: “We’re delighted our EyeSight driver assist technology has been recognised for excellence in innovation.
“Safety has always been a top priority for Subaru, and when we introduced the EyeSight driver assist technology in 2012, we elevated our safety commitment even further, potentially preventing collisions or reducing the severity.
“In Australia, EyeSight has attracted insurance premium reductions for vehicle owners, while late last year in Japan, Liberty and Outback models equipped with EyeSight were awarded top ratings in a new type of assessment conducted by the Japan New Car Assessment Program (JNCAP).”
Other international acclaim for EyeSight includes a maximum six point rating in Front Crash Prevention (FCP) tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the United States.
In 2012, EyeSight won a prestigious Japanese government science and technology award. The five Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) engineers who developed EyeSight received the prize for Science and Technology 2012, Development Category, from Japan’s Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
The award-winning third-generation EyeSight system, adds brake light recognition, pre-collision steering assist and approximately 40 per cent improvement in obstacle detection distance and camera angle view, to its already impressive credentials:
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Lane Departure Warning
- Lane Sway Warning
- Lead Vehicle Start Alert
- Pre-Collision Braking System
- Pre-Collision Brake Assist
- Pre-Collision Throttle Management
Third-generation EyeSight comes standard on all new generation Liberty and Outback petrol variants which start from just $29,990 MLP*.
For more information on Subaru’s EyeSight driver assist system, head to www.subaru.com.au/eyesight
*Prices are Subaru (Aust) Pty Limited’s Manufacturer’s List Prices only and include GST on the list price but exclude dealer delivery charges and all other government and statutory charges. For the actual drive away price of Subaru vehicles consumers should be advised to contact their local authorized Subaru dealer.
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