2020 Subaru Legacy gets its turbo back at the Chicago auto show

Subaru took the covers off an all-new Legacy sedan at the Chicago auto show this week, unveiling a new generation of a model that has been less than exciting for quite some time, especially for those who remember the Legacy of the 1990s complete with its turbo, loud exterior design and manual transmission.

With the debut of a new generation, Subaru hopes to roll the Legacy back to a more fun time even if only one out of those three items is coming back — it rhymes with "furbo."

Sitting on the Subaru Global Platform shared with the current-generation Impreza, the 2020 Legacy promises to be much more of a handler than the outgoing model with a 70-percent increase in front-suspension rigidity as well as torsional rigidity, thanks to a 371-percent increase in the use of structural adhesives and a a 13-percent increase in ultra-high-tensile-strength steel. The greater body rigidity, lowered center of gravity and strengthened suspension promise to contribute to more responsive handling, a smoother ride and increased steering precision.

Powering the 2020 Legacy is a 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer engine — the first turbo in the Legacy lineup since 2012 — churning out 260 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque. This welcome news is tempered a bit by the transmission with which it is paired: The Lineartronic CVT with a manual shifting mode. So there's that. Still, Subaru says that even with the CVT the Legacy will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds, and will return 24 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. This engine replaces the 3.6-liter six-cylinder in the outgoing generation of the model.

The base engine, meanwhile, will be an updated 2.5-liter boxer engine good for 182 hp and 176 lb-ft of torque, also paired with the same CVT. The sprint to 60 will take a couple extra seconds with this unit but the tradeoff, Subaru says, will be slightly better city/highway fuel efficiency rating of 27/35 mpg.

We haven't mentioned design yet, but it can fairly be described as a conservative evolution of the outgoing model; the current Legacy aims to be a Camry alternative rather than a hair-raising back-road bomber. The lightly-accented wheelarches are one of the few remaining hints of its rally-themed predecessors.

"With larger thickness in profile panel surfaces and a thicker appearance from the raised trunk surface, which has a smooth connection to the C-pillar, the Legacy embodies solid toughness and a dynamic active image," Subaru says. "Wider fenders emphasize tire and wheel presence, while a frameless hexagonal grille and a lower grille intake that is molded to evoke the image of an aircraft add width and sportiness to the Legacy’s aggressive stance."

But not all the rally DNA is gone: Subaru went with a front MacPherson strut suspension with a 23-mm hollow stabilizer bar and aluminum lower L-arms that are stronger, lighter and more responsive than in the outgoing model. The rear suspension is a double-wishbone layout with a 19-mm hollow stabilizer bar.

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