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Subaru Exiga: secret turbocharged 7-seater revealed
Subaru’s sporty new people-carrier has been spied ahead of its official launch – and it’s under consideration for Australia. By JEZ SPINKS.
Subaru Exiga: Spy picture: Automedia
Forget Subaru’s official teaser images for its new Exiga – our spies have spotted the seven-seater all-wheel-drive crossover virtually undisguised.
The Exiga will be unveiled by Subaru on June 17 and is initially planned as a Japanese-market-only model.
Subaru Australia says, however, that it is looking at the tall wagon, which could become a rival for the likes of Honda’s sporty Odyssey people-mover.
The Impreza-WRX-style bonnet scoop on our spied Exiga reveals a turbocharged flat-four ‘boxer’ engine will send power to all four wheels.
Naturally aspirated 2.0- and 2.5-litre four-cylinders from the Impreza and Forester are also likely to feature, while Subaru’s new ‘boxer’ diesel engine would also make sense for Australia as well as Europe.
The Exiga looks almost identical to the concept car that previewed the crossover at the 2007 Tokyo motor show, mostly introducing production-feasible head- and tail-lights, as well as a dual-pipe exhaust system.
Subaru’s first all-new model since the 2005 Tribeca 4WD will sit between the Forester compact 4WD and next-generation Liberty/Outback, which reach Australia in the third quarter of 2009.
If the dimensions remain unchanged from the concept, the Exiga will be 4780mm long and 1630mm high. Although that makes it longer than the current Liberty and Outback, the mid-size sedans and wagons will grow in size for their generational change.
European and Japanese media are speculating that the Exiga sits on the Impreza’s platform, though Drive’s Subaru sources say the seven-seater actually debuts the next-generation Liberty/Outback underpinnings.
The Exiga concept shares its 2750mm wheelbase and suspension (front struts and double-wishbone rear) with the Tribeca 4WD that uses a stretched version of the current Liberty's platform.
That means plenty of room for up to seven occupants – as well as plenty of light and good all-round visibility from the Exiga’s wraparound glasshouse and panoramic glass roof.
Subaru’s official teaser image for the Exiga reveals a flexible three-row seating arrangement, with each row sitting higher than the one ahead in a theatre-style set-up. The two third-row seats look wider than those in the middle row.
The picture suggests the centre row has a similar middle seat to the Toyota Kluger, where it can be removed to create a walk-through area to the third row – as well as a more spacious environment for second-row passengers.
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Originally Posted by lokopoko
