Subaru Legacy Concept

The Subaru Legacy seems to have become veiled in mystery. While the new Subaru Boxer Diesel had the odd mention in despatches in the trade press some time back, that doesn't seem to have done much for the Legacy itself and somehow, Subaru seem to be hiding in their own shadow. O.K. - this Japanese company has its traditional engine concept, but in terms of design, there is absolutely nothing that makes Subaru unique, unlike their engines. If you asked me which design characteristic were typical for Subaru, you would have to put up with a ponderous and vacuous stare.

The new Legacy presented in Detroit was supposed to represent the first step in the direction of a unified visual identity. This led to an an attempt to stamp all current car design trends into steel, leading to something that lacked harmony and looked clumsy. The Mercedes R-Class style headlamps look sharp and aggressive and the air inlets arranged to the left and right of the main radiator grille could be seen on an Audi.

The ostentatious wheel arches at the sides look awkward and unfinished and of course, we can't do without the good old 'character line' raising to the rear. Somehow, it all seems unimaginative. The interior has a very bog-standard series look to it and was simply tarted up with a few futuristic looking inserts to deserve the name 'concept'.

Let's just hope that Subaru take serious note of public reaction and give the new Legacy a radical rethink. So there's not much else to say, at least for the time being.