Subaru debuts refreshed 2023 Legacy sedan with new front styling, enhanced safety features, and updated multimedia

•Legacy receives an updated look with a redesigned front fascia

•Latest version of EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology is standard

•Touring XT equipped with a new Wide-Angle Mono Camera to further enhance the EyeSight system's field of view

•Wireless Apple CarPlay® and wireless Android™ Auto is standard on 11.6-inch Multimedia Plus system

•Sport Trim now comes standard with 2.4-liter turbo SUBARU BOXER® engine

Subaru of America, Inc. today announced the 2023 Legacy midsize sedan with updated styling and new safety and in-vehicle technologies. Also new, the Sport trim level comes standard with the powerful 2.4-liter turbo SUBARU BOXER® engine. For 2023 model year, Legacy will be available in Base, Premium, Sport, Limited, and Touring XT trim levels when it arrives in Subaru retailers this fall.

The 2023 Legacy lineup receives a bolder look thanks to a new front fascia incorporating a more prominent grille and redesigned LED headlights. The sedan comes standard with the latest generation of EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology and the enhanced system operates more smoothly and under a greater range of conditions. These improvements are thanks to a wider field of view, updated control software, and the addition of an electric brake booster.

The latest version of the SUBARU STARLINK 11.6-inch Multimedia Plus system comes with wireless Apple CarPlay® and wireless Android™ Auto with full screen display. The updated system now offers improved on-screen controls for audio, HVAC, and vehicle features.

The top-level Touring XT adds a Wide-Angle Mono Camera that works with the dual-camera EyeSight system. The additional camera expands the field of view even further to recognize pedestrians and bicycles sooner when the vehicle enters an intersection at low speed. EyeSight gives an alert to the driver and, when necessary, applies brakes to avoid collisions.

On models equipped with Blind-Spot Detection with Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, EyeSight now includes Automatic Emergency Steering. The two systems work in conjunction to help avoid a collision with an obstacle at speeds less than 50 mph.

SPORT TRIM ENHANCEMENTS

For 2023, the Sport trim level comes standard with the 260 hp 2.4-liter turbo BOXER engine. The Sport trim's exterior is immediately distinguishable by a red accent across the front grille; magnetite gray metallic side mirrors and trunk spoiler; and gray 18-inch alloy wheels. The interior comes in an exclusive black and gray two-tone cloth with contrasting red stitching. The Sport builds on the Premium trim and adds sport-tuned suspension, LED fog lights, power moonroof, and navigation. Additional standard safety features include Reverse Automatic Braking and DriverFocus® Distraction Mitigation System.

PERFORMANCE AND HANDLING

The 2023 Legacy delivers the optimal blend of comfort and performance with standard Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, Active Torque Vectoring, and Vehicle Dynamics Control. The naturally aspired 2.5-liter engine produces 182 hp and 176 lb-ft of torque. Standard on Sport and Touring XT, the 2.4-liter turbocharged BOXER engine delivers robust all-around performance with 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque.

All 2023 Legacy models are paired with Subaru's Lineartronic CVT (continuously variable transmission) featuring an 8-speed manual mode function with steering wheel paddle shifters. The 2.4-liter turbo delivers an estimated 24/32 mpg city/highway. The 2.5-liter achieves up to an estimated 35 mpg and a range of more than 600 miles on a single tank.

STRUCTURE AND SAFETY

The Legacy is built on the Subaru Global Platform which has been optimized for rigidity and crash absorption. When a crash is unavoidable, the Legacy protects driver and passengers with eight standard airbags, including a driver knee airbag. Subaru expects the 2023 Legacy will achieve top safety scores when it is tested later this year, including a TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Standard EyeSight Driver Assist Technology includes Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centering, which provides steering assist when the vehicle veers toward the outside of its lane, helping the driver maintain a direct path. The DriverFocus™ Distraction Mitigation System (standard on Sport and Touring XT) uses a dedicated infrared camera and facial recognition technology to identify signs of driver fatigue or distraction and provides audio and visual warnings to alert the driver and passengers. Additional driver-assist technologies are available, including Reverse Automatic Braking and EyeSight Assist Monitor with head-up display.

Select 2023 Legacy trim levels are equipped with the latest generation of SUBARU STARLINK Safety and Security. Available packages offer access to emergency services and convenience features including Automatic Collision Notification, Enhanced Roadside Assistance, Stolen Vehicle Recovery, Vehicle Diagnostic Alerts, Remote Engine Start with Climate Control, and more.

COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE

To complement the All-Weather Package, a new 360-degree heated steering wheel is standard on Sport and Touring XT. The new feature keeps a driver's hands warm at any position.

All trim levels feature power door locks, windows and side mirrors; Welcome Lighting; Remote Keyless Access; Tire Pressure Monitoring System with Individual Wheel Display; and 60/40 folding rear seats. Moving up to the Premium trim adds the 11.6-inch STARLINK Multimedia Plus system; All-Weather Package; 10-way power front driver seat with lumbar support; and Dual-Zone Automatic Climate Control. The Limited trim includes Keyless Entry with Push-Button Start; perforated leather interior; Harman Kardon® premium audio system; and heated rear seats (outboard position). The Touring XT trim includes ventilated front seats; Front View Monitor; and a power moonroof.

For powering and pairing personal devices, Legacy comes standard with a front USB A input/charge port and 3.5 mm auxiliary input jack as standard. Front and rear USB C ports are added to Premium trim and higher.

BOLD DESIGN

For 2023, the Legacy lineup receives a new front fascia that includes an aggressive front bumper cover, larger grille, and redesigned LED headlights and fog lights. This design continues the automaker's Dynamic x Solid philosophy that gives the Legacy a low and wide stance. The interior has an outstanding forward view and features character lines flowing from the center of the instrument panel to the door panels to create an open environment. The tablet-style 11.6-inch Full HD center information display (dual 7.0-inch display on base) offers direct touch controls for multimedia, HVAC, and vehicle settings.

The top-of-the-line Touring XT leverages luxurious appointments inside and out, including new Slate Black Nappa leather with contrasting silver stitching, high-gloss black molding for the pillars, chrome plating decorated door handles, and satin tone plated side mirrors.

SUBARU IN-VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY

The 2023 Legacy offers the latest version of the STARLINK 11.6-inch Multimedia Plus system featuring standard wireless Apple CarPlay® and wireless Android™ Auto with full screen display. The system includes an 11.6-inch high-resolution touchscreen with combination meter integration and improved on-screen controls for audio, HVAC, and vehicle settings. Additional standard features include new Valet Mode; Bluetooth® hands-free phone and audio streaming connectivity; AM/FM stereo; rear vision camera; SiriusXM® All-Access Radio and SiriusXM Travel Link® (4-month free subscriptions); HD Radio®; and over-the-air updates.

The 11.6-inch STARLINK Multimedia Plus with Navigation includes voice-activated navigation powered by the latest version of TomTom® and SiriusXM Travel Link (3-year free subscription). New for 2023, the navigation system has integrated what3words (W3W), an innovative location technology that provides a simple way to communicate precise locations using just three simple words.

The Legacy is built at Subaru of Indiana Automotive (SIA) in Lafayette, Indiana along with the Ascent, Impreza, and Outback.

by Subaru

In February 1989, an all-new mid-sized sedan rocked the world with its introduction. The Subaru Legacy was introduced as the replacement for the Subaru Leone/Loyale and featured a 2.0L engine that had been originally available only with all-wheel drive but later became standard worldwide. In Australia, the Legacy was marketed as the Subaru Liberty in part because Legacy Clubs rejected the use of their name. For 1994 and 1998, the Subaru Legacy was Wheels magazine s Car of the Year. Worldwide distribution of the Subaru Legacy began in 1990. Beginning in 1989, all USA Legacy s were built at either the Indiana plant in Lafayette, Indiana or the Gunma plant in Japan.

Subaru s longest-running nameplate in the U.S., the Legacy, was introduced nearly two decades ago and has continued to be a recognized and popular vehicle. Legacy is also very often chosen as a winter-beating alternative to the midsize sedan or wagon segment because of its all-wheel drive. The Subaru Legacy has also won two Edmunds.com Editors Most Wanted SM awards. Part of the initial design goals for the Legacy model was to provide Subaru with a vehicle that they could compete with in the advantageous North American midsize market, against competitors like the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry. Many higher-performance variants of the Legacy area offered as a competitive alternative to company exec cars like the Alfa Romeo 159, BMW 3 Series, Volkswagen Passat and the Audi A4.

A pretty large departure from Subaru offerings in the past, the first generation of the Legacy was introduced in 1989. Subaru had long held a reputation of building vehicles that had been considered to be quirky, but the introduction of the Legacy was Subaru s attempt to join the growing upscale market. The Legacy Subaru was unveiled to the public at the same time as the Lexus and Infinity. Breaking with many of Subaru s traditions, the Legacy no longer featured a spare tire in the engine compartment, but not behind the engine and above the transmission. Placed above the Leone in Subaru s model range, the Legacy was an all-new model.

Beginning with a 5-door station wagon or 4-door sedan body style with FWD, the Legacy featured an optional full-time AWD package, and was unveiled in the USA, Germany, UK, Japan, Australia and the Netherlands. The Legacy featured a variety of luxurious and technological advancements that were normally only found on more expensive vehicles as standard equipment. These features included central locking, power windows, fuel injection, AC, alloy wheels, power assist rack and pinion steering, 4-wheel independent suspension with both negative scrub and anti-dive and squat geometry, along with 4-wheel disc brakes. Optional items included 4-channel ABS, and air suspension height control. Japanese police departments have also used the Legacy for patrol cars, and still continue to do so today.

Currently unique to the Legacy in this class size of vehicle was the standard equipped symmetrical all-wheel drive system. Both sedan and wagon models were available in 1990, and in 1991 a turbocharged sedan model was introduced to the lineup and it came with an engine that different slightly from current market offerings. There has been four generations of the Subaru Legacy so far. The first generation Legacy was introduced from 1990 through 1994 and was in Japan by Isuzu at the Aska CX. Introduced first in the Legacy was the EJ-series engine. Featuring various improvements over the earlier engines, the EJ-series came with five main bearings rather than three. The EJ20 also featured versatility, and any EJ-style engine would fit into any Subaru made from 1990 through 2006.

A notable departure from Subaru products in the past, the Legacy was formally introduced on January 23, 1989, in Japan. It was priced introductory at $18,800. The first Legacy was available at Japanese dealerships on February 1, 1989. Worldwide distribution began in 1990.

On October 7, 1991, the second generation of the Legacy's sales began. The second generation was officially debuted in 2005 in North America with a full body and chassis revision. The second generation lasted until 1999 and the exterior was designed by Olivier Boulay who had been hired by Subaru on a short-term basis. Influenced by the taillights on the SVX, new tail lights appeared on both the sedan and wagon in this generation. Subaru chose to make AWD standard equipment in all vehicles in 1996 for the North American market from that day until today. Subaru continued to offer a choice between AWD and FWD for its domestic market vehicles for this 2nd generation.

Between 1991 and 1994, the 2.2L turbocharged four-cylinder engines were available in the North American Legacy. While featuring a single overhead camshaft, this unique version did not come with an intercooler. Beginning in 1996, 2.5L, DOHC normally aspirated and fuel-injected four-cylinder engines were available in the US market. Beginning in 2000, a revised version with a single overhead camshaft became available in North American models. Beginning in 2005, 2.5L, DOHC, turbocharged and inter-cooled four-cylinder engines were made available in North American market GT models.

In 1995 Subaru introduced a raised, crossover version of the Legacy wagon which they called the Legacy Outback. The Legacy Outback with this generation came with AWD only internationally.

In 1996, USA-spec GT models that had been first available in 1990 as a turbocharged sedan or wagon in Japan (and as a trim package for the U.S. version in 94) transformed into a top-level model upgrade using the new EJ25D DOHC 2.5 L naturally-aspirated engine. Introduced in this year, Limited trim level editions came, offering heated leather or cloth, seats, and trim along with a tinted, glass moonroof. The name Limited also appeared on the GT which was known as the GT Limited in 1998. In 1998, the term Limited was used by itself on the Outback. Complying with USA Federal Government regulations, driver and front passenger airbags were added with the redesigned interior.

The 30th year anniversary of Subaru in America rolled around in 1991, and it also marked the end of the second generation in North America. To honor this, a special 30th Anniversary Edition was offered in the U.S. It came with an upgraded interior, sunroof, alloy wheels on the L trim level cars and spoiler. The U.S. spec Brighton trim level also came over from the previous year and remained priced below the L trim option.

The GT-B was introduced in June of 1996 in Japan. The front and rear struts were supplied by Bilstein and the upgrade was available on the RS. B designation stood for Bilstein. Turbocharged variations were still available in markets that utilized right-hand drive configurations. Also available in Japan were specialty touring and racing versions, along with the DOHC 2-liter twin sequential turbocharged EJ20H version on both the Legacy GT sedan and wagon with an automatic transmission. Along with RS sedan and wagan with the EJ20R and a manual transmission and a slightly higher hp rating, both of these identified Boxer 2-stage Twin Turbo on the engine cover shroud.

In 1998 Australia finished out the last of the second generation Liberty with a special Bilstein Edition RX, which was identifiable by a Bilstein badge on the rear trunk lid. It also featured a lower stand due to front and rear Bilstein struts. The model also featured leather seats and door inserts as well as Momo sports leather steering and 16in BBS alloys, all as standard equipment. In Israel, the Legacy second generation was introduced and the Legacy name was replaced by the B4 brand.

The third generation of the Subaru Legacy was launched in Japan and Europe in June 1998, while the North American model debuted in late 1999 as a 2000 model. The European models ranged from a normally-aspirated 2.0 L flat-4 to the EZ30 flat-6 in the 3.0R model. The twin-turbo that had been offered in the earlier generation was still offered on performance models. The EZ30, a newly designed 3.0 L H6 was available in the Outback models in 2001. The engines now meet California s LEV emission standard.

The raised roof is now used for both the Legacy wagon and the Legacy Outback and the flat roof wagons and no longer manufactured worldwide. Beginning in the 2000 model year was the introduction of daytime running lights. The following year cabin air filters were available and installed beneath and behind the glove compartment door.

Dubbed SportShift, Japanese speculation vehicles with the twin-turbo had a choice of manual or semi-automatic transmission which allowed the driver to push the automatic gearshift selector to the let, and then allowed the driver to shift the automatic like a manual transmission.

The fourth generation of the Subaru Legacy debuted in 2003 until 2009. Fuji Heavy Industries introduced their all-new redesigned Legacy on May 23, 2003. It was also known as the BL for sedan model and BP for wagons. Worldwide this generation was released in 2004. Subaru Indiana Automotive commenced production in January 2004 for the North American market. Winning Subaru s first win for the award, the Legacy was given the 2003-2004 Japan Car of the Year. Lance Armstrong was elected the spokesman for both the wagon and the sedan and Sheryl Crow s 96 hit Everyday Is a Winding Road was the theme song in U.S. commercials. Subaru sold its three-millionth Legacy on March 14, 2005.

Heralding the return of a turbocharged engine to North American Legacies, the chassis was newly redesigned and made stiffer and featured a 2.5-liter unit derived from that of the North American Impreza WRX STI. The twin-turbo setup was dropped from the lineup due to advancements in turbocharger technology and stricter emission standards. Offering Subaru s first 5-speed automatic transmission, turbocharged models, and the H6 featured SportShift technology which was licensed from Prodrive, Ltd.

The Legacy wagon and the Outback sedan were discontinued in the U.S. market in the 2008 model year. This left only the Legacy sedan and the Outback wagon. In Canada, though, the Legacy wagon wasn't discontinued. This year Subaru actually brought back the 3.0 L flat-6 engine to the North American Legacy sedan. For the first time since 2000, the flat-6 was once again available in the Outback sedan wagon. The 2.5i U.S. model was certified PZEV emissions for 2008 and received a badge attached to the rear of the vehicle on the bottom right hand side of the trunk lid or tailgate. Meanwhile, all other models are certified LEV2. Throughout the entire U.S. the PZEV Legacy is available, unlike other manufacturers that only sell PZEV-certified cars in states that share CA s emission standards.

EyeSight is a new safety feature that consists of twin cameras, one on each side of the rearview mirror which uses human-like stereoscopic vision to judge distances. It also keeps tabs on the driver and is now available on the Japanese-spec Legacy as of May 10, 2008. EyeSight helps the vehicle (more like the driver) retain a safe distance on the highway, a lane departure warning system, a driver alert warning for numerous safety situations and even keeps an eye open for pedestrians. SI-Cruise has also been integrated into the EyeSight feature as a driver safety aid.

The first ever fit to a passenger car, the Subaru EE flat-4 diesel engine was available in both the Legacy and Outback sedans and wagons, which were dubbed as the Subaru Legacy 2.0D. Beginning in March 2008, this car was released in the European Union and was available with a 5-speed manual transmission only. Both the Legacy and Outback diesel were debuted officially at the Geneva Auto Show in March of 2008.

The fifth generation of the Subaru Legacy was introduced the final week of May 2009 at their Indiana location. The 2010 Legacy was shown at the 2009 New York Auto Show. The Legacy was introduced in Japan on May 20, 2009, in Japan and the STi Legacy will continue in production.

Lineartronic Continuously variable transmission was all new for this generation and was utilized internationally on the EJ25 2.5 L flat-4 engine and the EJ20 several markets. In the North American and Australian markets 6-speed manual transmission was also offered.

Exclusively used in Japan and North America was the 2.5GT turbocharger with a 6-speed manual transmission, and Australia was able to choose between the 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic transmission. Cars identified as 3.6R use the EZ36 flat-6 engine with a 5-speed SportShift conventional automatic transmission. On AWD models the Lineartronic CVT transmission is also shared with the JDM-spec Subaru Exiga. Today the North American PZEV Legacy 2.5i continues to be available throughout the U.S.

The EZ36 flat-engine is only used internationally on the Outback, but it is available in the Legacy in North America and Australia. Offering the EJ25 in both turbo and non-turbo versions the Japan-spec car has discontinued the EJ20 engine. Standard equipment on all Japanese-spec vehicles was the SI-Drive, as well both the Australian 2.5GT and the 3.6R sedan, but not in North America. Standard on the international Outback was SI-Drive with the EZ36 except in North America.

Only in North America was the Legacy wagon available as an Outback, whereas the wagon is available ad both a Legacy and Outback in Japan, Australia, Europe and the U.K. The wagon was the only version offered in the UK, and the engine choices are limited to the Subaru EE20 turbo-diesel or the EJ25. The EJ20 is still available in both the sedan and a wagon in Europe, alongside the EE20 turbo-diesel and the EJ25. In Australia, the EE20 turbo-diesel is available in the Outback. Euro5 emission standard compliant are the European and UK Legacy EE20 diesel, the EJ20 and EJ25.

Putting an end to a Subaru tradition that began with the first generation Leone in the early 1970s was the side windows no longer being frameless. Ending a design tradition that had been established with the first generation, the D pillar on the wagon was no longer covered in glass, borrowed from the Subaru XT. A new center console-mounted hand brake was replaced with an electric handbrake switch installed on the dashboard.

Both the stereo control and climate control buttons along with the CVT gear selector, were oriented to either left- or right-hand driving. Manual control of the CVT transmission was done by pulling the gear selector lever in the driver s direction.

A Subaru Legacy concept was designed in 2009 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Subaru model. The concept vehicle officially debuted at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

by Jessican Donaldson