Cars - Subaru Legacy

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	Cars - Subaru Legacy

The Subaru Legacy is a mid-size sedan that was introduced by Subaru in February 1989 as a replacement for the Subaru Leone/Loyale. It came with a 2.0 L engine and was available with all-wheel drive, which later became standard worldwide. In Australia, where it is sold as the Subaru Liberty (due to Australia's Legacy Clubs rejecting use of their name), it was Wheels magazine's Car of the Year for 1994 and again for 1998.

In North America, the Legacy was introduced in 1990, with a 2.2 L engine driving front and all-wheel drive powertrains as options. Both sedan and wagon models were available. In 1991, a turbocharged sedan model became available, though its engine differed somewhat from that of other market offerings. A turbocharged wagon debuted in 1992 as a special edition. All turbo models in North America ceased production with the introduction of the second generation Legacy, starting in 1995. The North American Outback model, with the help of clever marketing, halted declining sales and was instrumental in attracting investment interest from General Motors. GT models, first offered as a wagon trim package in 1994, became a full-blown upgrade in 1996, using the new DOHC 2.5 L engine. GT models continue to the present model, with Limited editions available, offering leather trim and a sunroof. The North American market launch of the 2005 model brought back the turbocharged Legacy to the region, much to the delight of the model's fans.

In the Pacific Northwest and New England, the Legacy has gained considerable popularity as an icon of the outdoor lifestyle. The Legacy (and the Outback especially) typifies the outdoor lifestyle market in the US; this is an image of Subaru that differs greatly from that which the rest of the world hasof it. The rise of the performance-oriented Impreza has done much to change the brand image in recent years, emphasizing performance and safety as well as utility.

In Japan, the Legacy has a reputation for being an affordable, quick, and nimble car. Subaru is trying to follow the success of the Impreza worldwide with the Legacy, offering turbocharged models in Japan and the Americas. The latest Legacy model has never had a turbocharged version released in Europe due to emission problems.

On April 23, 1998, a Subaru Legacy set a new world speed record for mass-produced turbocharged station wagons (1600 cc–2000 cc class), clocking 270.532 km/h over one kilometer on Highway 10 in La Junta, Colorado. This record was previously set by a Generation II Subaru Legacy in 1993 at 249.981 km/h.

The original Legacy speed record was set between January 2nd and 21st, 1989, with a Japanese-spec RS sedan at the Arizona Test Center outside of Phoenix, Arizona. It broke the 100,000 km FIA World Land Endurance Record by maintaining an average speed of 138.780 mph (223.345 km/h) for 447 hours, 44 minutes and 9.887 seconds, or 18 1/2 days. Pit stops were made every two hours with a driver change and refueling, while tire changes were made at 96 hour intervals, or every 13,400 miles driven.

On March 14, 2005, Subaru sold its three-millionth Legacy worldwide.

Legacy chronology

Gallery of Subaru Legacys

Image:Subaru Legacy (Old).jpg|The first-generation Subaru Legacy Image:Legacy Wagon (Old).jpg|The first-generation Subaru Legacy station wagon Image:legacygt1997.jpg|1997 Model Image:SubaruLegacyEuropeanType.jpg|2004 Legacy 3.0R Station Wagon, European Version Image:alt0335.jpg|2006 Subaru Legacy GT Image:Subaru Liberty Blitzen 2006.jpg|2006 Subaru Liberty Blitzen at the Melbourne International Motor Show

World market release schedule

Models have typically been released into Japan and selected World markets such as New Zealand and Chile in advance of the Continental European and North American markets.

Generation I: 1989–1992
Generation II: 1993–1997
Generation III: 1998–2003
Generation IV: 2003–present

The first generation Legacy was also sold in Japan by Isuzu as the Aska CX, from 1990 to 1994.

North American market release schedule

Generation I: 1990–1994
Generation II: 1995–1999
Generation III: 2000–2004
Generation IV: 2005–present

Chassis codes

Generation I: BC - Sedan, BF - Wagon
Generation II: BD - Sedan, BG - Wagon
Generation III: BE - Sedan, BH - Wagon
Generation IV: BL - Sedan, BP - Wagon

(other similar chassis codes exist for VIN numbers in the North American market. BF may be shown as BJ on some Legacy wagons, for example. These chassis codes are almost universally recognized for the models they represent worldwide.)

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