Subaru

Generation Seven: 2020 Subaru Legacy

The seventh-generation Legacy’s introduction comes as the market for midsize sedans continues to shrink. In fact, a number of competitors have left or are leaving the segment, including the Chrysler 200, Dodge Avenger, Mitsubishi Galant, and soon the Ford Fusion. Consumers want crossovers, models already popular with Subaru. That said, this maker of mostly all-wheel-drive vehicles still sees life in the segment.

Besides fewer competitors going forward, what is also helping Subaru is sharing its vehicle architecture across more model lines. Indeed, the 2020 Legacy rides on the Subaru Global Platform, which in 70-percent stiffer torsional and front-suspension rigidity as well as 100-percent stiffer lateral flexural and rear subframe rigidity. Further, Subaru increased structural adhesiveness nearly four-fold. In all, the new model demonstrates gains that will improve crashworthiness, offer improved handling, and deliver a smoother and quieter ride.

Here are the highlights of the 2020 Legacy:

1. Six trims for the choosing. You’ll find Base, Premium, Sport, Limited, Limited XT and Touring XT trims when the 2020 Legacy rolls out this fall. Every model features standard all-wheel drive, the only model in this segment that can make this claim. In fact, all-wheel drive is available on only two other models: the Ford Fusion Sport and the Nissan Altima.

2. Two engine choices, including a turbo. Returning for 2020 is a 2.4-liter Boxer four-cylinder engine. It has been upgraded to produce 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque, numbers which should be adequate for most drivers. But most drivers aren’t the ones drawn to the previously available V6, which has been discontinued. In its place is a turbocharged 2.4-liter Boxer four-cylinder engine with an output of 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers beat the V6’s 256 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque. Both of the 2020 engines work with a continuously variable transmission.

3. Improved tech features. What’s a new model without improved tech features? The Subaru Legacy delivers with its new 11.6-inch display screen, a tablet-like device that is sure to please. Subaru integrates its communication system with Starlink technology, which supplies Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto smartphone compatibility on its screen. That screen also controls other functions, include climate and audio. Navigation is also available and is powered by TomTom. Wi-Fi connectivity is another available feature.

4. More premium touches. The auto show display model revealed just how upscale a Legacy can be. It is as if Subaru raised the look to offer a bridge between luxury and mainstream, a trend we’ve seen in models such as the Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima. For instance, the Touring trim is outfitted with genuine Nappa leather, which delivers a luxurious look and the comfort to go with it. The interior roof pillars are wrapped in high-gloss black molding and chrome plating dresses the door handles. The Sport edition has aluminum pedals and red stitching on the instrument panel. Other changes include three levels of heating for the available heated front seats.

5. Safety enhancements galore. You’d expect Subaru to defend its top-tier safety rating when designing a new Legacy. The new model does just that. New this year is a Front View Monitor, which captures images within the driver’s blind spot and displays a 180-degree view on the color display. This is helpful for pedestrian detection and parking. Other driver-assist features include LED steering responsive headlamps on the Limited and Touring trims, reverse automatic braking, and blind spot detection with lane change assist and rear cross traffic alert.

More Details to Follow

There are a few things about the 2020 Legacy that aren’t yet known. It appears slightly larger than the outgoing model, but we weren’t supplied with model specifications, including wheelbase and overall length. It does, however, sit slightly lower to the ground and that’s no small feat for an all-wheel-drive sedan.

Pricing won’t be announced until nearer this vehicle’s release date. We could see a slight boost in cost for the base model, with larger increases at the top of the model range.

Do you remember the Toyota-Isuzu partnership? Probably not, as these two Japanese automakers are at polar opposites in their involvement in the U.S. market.

Indeed, Toyota is one of the top brands in the U.S., while Isuzu hasn’t sold a vehicle here since 2009. Certainly, Toyota dominates in several things, including hybrid technology, but it is weak in a few areas, including diesel engineering, which happens to be one of Isuzu’s strengths.

2017 Fiat 124 Spider. Not Isuzu. — This Fiat 124 Spider is the result of an agreement FCA made with Mazda.

Toyota, Isuzu Forge a Partnership

Thus, in 2006, Toyota and Isuzu signed an agreement to utilize each other’s resources in diesel development, a partnership that made sense at the time. For instance, with fuel prices still high and soon to reach higher still, the original agreement allowed both manufacturers to strengthen their diesel involvement. But as the ensuing years have attested, changes in fuel prices, customer tastes and regulatory concerns have changed things considerably. Diesel demand is down and likely to continue to fall.

So, Toyota did this month what makes perfect sense: it officially dissolved the partnership. Further, Toyota will sell its 50 million shares of Isuzu stock, which gave the company a 5.89-percent stake in Isuzu. Moving forward, the two companies will continue to collaborate on projects feasible to both.

In a press release, Toyota cited the automotive industry’s “sweeping, once-in-a-century changes” as the company’s reason for concentrating on other matters. For instance, the two automakers are likely to continue collaborating on other areas where they are strong. For Isuzu, that would be commercial vehicles. And for Toyota, that’s always been passenger vehicles, this automaker’s mainstay.

2016 Toyota Yaris iA — This Scion iA (now Toyota Yaris iA) is the result of a partnership between Toyota and Mazda.

Toyota and Mazda

Toyota has long collaborated or held stakes in junior Japanese manufacturers, including Mazda, Daihatsu and Subaru. In 2015, Mazda and Toyota announced a partnership whereby Mazda later supplied a vehicle to Toyota based on the Mazda 2. Originally sold as the 2016 Scion iA, this model is currently marketed as the Toyota Yaris iA now that the Scion brand has dissolved.

As for Mazda, the automaker is certain to benefit from Toyota hybrid technology, although as of this writing we haven’t seen such a model in the U.S. market. Toyota might also aid Mazda in all things hydrogen, yet another Toyota strength.

Auto Industry Buzzword: Collaboration

Industry collaboration is growing and will likely expand further as automakers deal with two matters that Toyota described as the “sweeping, once-in-a-century changes.” Specifically, these involve vehicle electrification and autonomy.

In June 2018, General Motors and Honda announced the second component of their earlier agreement, which builds on a joint venture to produce hydrogen fuel cell systems as early as 2020. The latest agreement covers electric-vehicle batteries, which is something GM will supply to Honda, according to Bloomberg. By doing so, GM will lower its own costs as both manufacturers ramp production of electric vehicles.

Waymo Google Chrysler Pacifica — Automakers are also collaborating with tech companies, such as FCA with Waymo.

For Honda, the agreement with GM enables the company to forge a partnership as its chief domestic competitors build their own. We already looked at Toyota’s stake in Japanese manufacturers. Nissan, however, has the most aggressive alliance going as the company has a significant stake in Renault and Renault has a significant stake in Nissan. In 2015, Nissan also purchased a controlling interest in Mitsubishi. The three companies currently form an alliance that sells more vehicles worldwide than any manufacturer.

Other areas of collaboration include GM and Ford working on automatic transmissions for the second time this millennium. In the early 2000s, the two manufacturers partnered to develop the six-speed automatic transmissions which were common in Ford and GM vehicles for more than a decade. Later, the two companies developed new nine- and 10-speed automatic transmissions, which are widely used today.

Getting it Done

So, although Toyota and Isuzu have officially ended their partnership, the collaborations will continue. As with many such efforts, the agreement is usually temporary and is sometimes fluid. As long as both parties see a benefit in working together, then these will continue. After all, lowering costs is the dictum of our day. Finally, consumers will benefit too, as those savings are passed on, making new technologies affordable for most.

Photos copyright the respective manufacturer except for the Fiat 124 Spider, which belongs to Auto Trends Magazine.