Autoblog West Coast Editor Michael Harley discusses the 2015 Subaru Legacy with Legacy Product Line Manager Peter Tenn at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show.
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MICHAEL HARLEY: Hi, I'm Mike Harley, west coast editor for Autoblog. I'm here at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show, in the Subaru booth, with its all new 2015 Legacy Sedan. The five passenger Legacy obviously competes in a very hotly contested segment that includes competitors like the Toyota Camry, the Honda Accord, and the Ford Fusion. So our job is to figure out what sets it apart.
PETER TENN: 2015 Subaru Legacy is made in our plant in Lafayette, Indiana. Comes in two engines; 2.5 liter 175 horsepower four cylinder, six cylinder which has 256 horsepower. You have a boxer engine, low center of gravity, really helps the handling. The transmissions are both CVT transmissions. The big news is, now the sixth cylinder also comes with a CVT transmission, as well. It's a high powered CVT transmission, which does help with the fuel economy. We are adopting the adaptive torque vectoring system we offer on our sports cars, like the STI. Really cool system allows you to turn in a lot better in corners, allows for much better handling. Of course, all these Subarus that we offer, all the sedans, have all wheel drive, all the time. So, in any kind of weather, any condition, you're ready to go. We have legendary liability, cabin size now is bigger than the predecessor. It's now rated as the top cabin space in its class. The leather has been improved, it's a lot quieter, we've used extensive sound deadening material throughout the vehicle. Even the windshield is a special acoustic glass windshield, so things like, even the rain when it's hitting the windshield, sounds quieter on this new car. Lots of cool, new safety features built into the 2015 Legacy. Both passive safety and active safety. We now offer seat cushion airbags, and those are basically airbags that deploy from under the seat and help keep the occupant in place in the event of a crash. Our eyesight system offers pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, sees the road in front of you. And, if an accident is imminent, it will actually slow the car down, kill the throttle, and even break the car to a complete stop, if necessary.
MICHAEL HARLEY: It's obvious that Subaru does things a little differently. They're the only automaker in the segment that's offering boxer engines and the only one that's offering permanent all wheel drive. Now obviously, some people may be put off because they have dropped their six feet step transmission for a CVT, but Subaru promises you're still going to get the sporty attitude, we've got the nice cabin, we've got all the safety features. It's a much better vehicle than its predecessor. The big question is, how's it going to drive? You guys will find out this summer when it rolls into showrooms. I'm Mike Harley for Autoblog.
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