NEW YORK 2009: Subaru Ruins the Liberty/Outback
Why did they do it? The current Liberty and Outback are pleasant looking cars, even if they are a little bland. But they've just made it hideous. Yep, this is the new Subaru Liberty and Outback, ready to take up the fight with the Mazda6 and Honda Accord Euro - but it has huge disadvantages before it even steps into the ring with the other two.
It's clear that they tried to make the new Liberty more macho and aggressive - we now get flared wheelarches, lots of sharp surface detailing on the bonnet, and aggro, flared-up headlamps. But for some reason, they didn't complete the job. Even without noting that the face of the car looks like a stunned rabbit, you can't deny the door handles look like they've been lifted off a Toyota Yaris, the alloy wheels couldn't have been plainer if they had tried, and the rear end looks so much like a toned down Honda Accord (the other one, not the Euro) it isn't funny.
And it's not like you can take solace in the interior, either. It looks quite similar (though thankfully not the same) to the interior of the new Impreza, which is odd, because I can't think of anyone who really likes the interior in the new Impreza. It really is a shame, because I was expecting a truly wonderful new interior for the Liberty. This was, of course, because the last Liberty had a fantastic interior. In fact, I think that this one may well be a step backward:
And the Outback isn't any better. At least its face doesn't look cross-eyed like the Liberty, but at the back, we have the worst-designed reflectors I have ever seen in a long time. How hard is it to integrate reflectors into the design of a car? They look as out of place as elephant tusks on a sausage dog.
In terms of specs, we have three engine choices: a 2.5 Litre, 127kW revision of the old engine, a turbocharged 198kW version of that same engine (for the Liberty GT models) and instead of the old 3.0 Litre, we now have a 3.6 Litre 191kW six-cylinder engine which no longer requires premium grade fuel like the old one. In transmissions, you can now get a 6-speed manual as standard, but the standard automatic has now become a CVT (continuously variable transmission). It remains to be seen how much confidence Subaru have in this kind of automatic transmission, because you can only get a standard 5-speed auto in the 3.6 Litre version.
Gains have also apparently been made in interior space, which is great, but the old Liberty wasn't as roomy as it could have been, so you'd hope the gains are fairly significant. In another sign of changing priorities for Subaru, they've also fitted a dreaded electronic parking brake. A normal parking brake would have been just fine, thanks.
DETROIT MOTOR SHOW 2009: Subaru Legacy Concept Points to the Future Liberty/Legacy
This is what I believe the next-gen Subaru Liberty (known as the Legacy elsewhere in the world) will look like, if you take away all the WRX-like bodykit and futuristic lights. It's letting us know that it is definitely still a Subaru, anyway: it's pretty ugly. But that's what Subaru are known for, and that's what they'll continue to be known for. Besides, I'm sure the car will be of exceptional quality and will handle beautifully. But it definitely won't be cool.
Actually, when the current Liberty was released in 2003, I quite liked it, and I thought it had a classy masculinity that was missing from the Accord Euro and Mazda6 - I thought that Subaru may have finally cracked it, when it comes to styling. It may have been somewhat bland, but at least it wasn't ugly, 
like the infamous bug-eyed Impreza of 2000. But alas, then they brought out the Tribeca, made the Forester ugly as well, and gave the Liberty a facelift that didn't really work. It looked worse than it did to start with!
I can see that this design is, in many ways, an evolution of the current Liberty, but far more agressive. I can't really tell you why it is so bad, but when I compare this this to a Mazda6, I just know that this new Liberty doesn't look quite right. I think the rear of the car is by far the most offensive area.
So get ready for a new Liberty, set to offer a third alternative to the brilliant Accord Euro and Mazda6. It'll turn up late this year or early next year (next year is 2010 now, remember).
