Subaru Liberty has been a popular seller in Australia for more than 20 years and has attracted loyal buyers partly because it’s just that little bit different from the mainstream. Not only with its boxer engine and all-wheel drive but also because of its well-earned reputation for toughness and reliability.
The latest, fifth generation, Liberty was launched in 2010 with annual tweaks to keep it up to date ahead of the next generation model, which is still a couple of years away.
The model year 2013 Liberty arrived here late last year with some minor styling changes, handling improvements and extra equipment.
As before, Liberty comes with a large choice of variants in either sedan or wagon bodies.
As before, two petrol engines are offered with capacities of 2.5 and 3.6 litres, although the latter, a six-cylinder unit, is now available only in the Liberty X. The upgraded four-cylinder 2.5-litre has managed the now-common combination of increased power and torque with reduced fuel consumption and emissions.
Another big selling point for the 2013 Liberty is its price. Subaru has been able to trim prices with the new entry-level Liberty 2.5i automatic sedan — $1000 cheaper than its previous manual equivalent and so $3000 cheaper than the comparable automatic.
Externally, the new Liberty gets a new grille, front fog light surrounds and redesigned alloy wheels. Inside there is a revised steering wheel design, one-touch lane-change indicator and electro-luminescent gauges with an integrated 3.5-inch colour monitor.
Subaru’s EyeSight safety system has now been extended further into the Liberty range.
On the road, Subaru Liberty has a real luxury feel to it, enhanced by improvements in noise, vibration and harshness levels.
While it’s not what you call a driving enthusiast’s car, nevertheless the underlying driving experience is one of confidence in the key areas of handling and safety.
Prices start at $32,990, not including government or dealer delivery charges.
