2009 SUBARU NEW CAR AND SUV MODEL GUIDE

Subaru of Japan builds a crossover utility vehicle (CUV) named Tribeca, a sport utility vehicle (SUV) called Forester, a five-door crossover wagon dubbed the Outback, four-door sedans and five-door wagons in two sizes with the Legacy and Impreza series and a souped-up performance variation, Impreza WRX. New for 2009 is a third generational design for Forester with bigger and better package and stronger engines. All vehicles from Subaru carry a simple and economical all-wheel-drive (AWD) system.

Tribeca
Subaru's CUV conforms to a wagon's format with four doors for passengers plus a liftgate in back. Yet Tribeca rides on the chassis of a car — the one that underpins Legacy and Outback models. Tribeca also totes a big 3.6-liter V6 engine that romps with 256 hp. It ties to a five-speed electronic automatic with SportShift mode for manual sequential shifting and symmetrical AWD system. 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).

Legacy
Mid-size Legacy models show variations. Entry comes with Legacy 2.5 i, but there's the plush 2.5 i Limited. Legacy 2.5 GT Limited gets a 2.5-liter boxer-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 boxer-four rated to 243 hp. New Legacy 3.0 R has a boxer-six engine with 245 hp and a five-speed automatic transmission, while Legacy 3.0 R Limited gets VDC plus Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-DRIVE) performance controls, a Bilstein Sport Suspension and 18-inch wheels and tires. New Legacy paint shades include Seacrest Green Metallic.

Outback
Subaru's five-door crossover functions like a tall station wagon or a 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 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 Limited — 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, while all Outback issues for 2009 carry VDC stability controls.

Impreza
Subaru's compact cars — a four-door sedan and five-door wagon — gain a new turbo-charged 2.5 GT edition. The GT totes a 2.5-liter turbo flat-four boxer engine which delivers 224 hp and ties to a four-speed auto shifter with symmetrical AWD system. Standard GT content ranges from a power glass moonroof to a remote keyless entry device and a spoiler on the tail. Impreza 2.5i uses Subaru's 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder engine worth 170 hp. Curtain-style side air bags and an anti-lock brake system (ABS) are stock safety items, with VDC skid controls standard on all 2009 Impreza editions.

WRX
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. WRX carries the 2.5-liter turbo flat-four boxer engine which gains a larger turbo-charger for 2009 and increases the output to 265 hp. Also new are 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels wrapped in 225/45R17 summer performance tires. The WRX body features front and rear under-bumper spoilers and aerodynamic side ground effects.

Forester
Subaru recasts Forester for 2009 and the result is a bigger and better and stronger compact-class SUV. Forester scores a new platform with 3.6 inches added to the wheelbase length, a wider wheel track and a lower center of gravity. Forester's entry-level engine — a 2.5-liter boxer-style four-pack — displaces 2.5 liters and produces 170 hp. It works with Forester 2.5X, up-level Forester 2.5 X Premium Package or the leather-trimmed Forester 2.5X L. L. Bean. Two souped-up Foresters — the 2.5 XT and 2.5 XT Limited — stock a turbo-charged and inter-cooled boxer four netting 224 hp.

Detailed Subaru pricing and ownership information.

For more information, visit Subaru.