Australian Car Guide

2001 August: B1 and B2 are the ABC's Bananas in Pyjamas but the B4 is Subaru's twin turbo Liberty AWD. This car is to the Liberty as the WRX is to the Impreza.

The B4 has a 190kW (6,400rpm), 320Nm (4,800rpm), 2-litre turbo charged engine and operates on 98-RON petrol (a 206kW version operating on 100-RON fuel is available in Japan). A rear limited slip differential is fitted.

Standard features on the Liberty B4 include ABS brakes, dual front airbags, 3-point seat belts for all five seating positions, power adjustable driver's seat, 17" alloy wheels, and CD/ tape/ radio. Price: From $55,130 ($au 8/2001).

• Subaru Liberty B4, 2001...
• sedan, 5-seats, 4-doors, ABS, dual airbags
• loa: 4605mm, width: 1695mm, height: 1415mm
• wheelbase: 2650mm, track: 1465mm/1465mm, grnd clearance: 155mm
• turning radius: 5.3m
• weight: 1495kg (unladen)
• 1994cc, petrol (98-RON), flat-4, mpfi, 4-valves/cyl, DOHC
• bore: 92.0mm, stroke: 75.0mm, c.r.: 9.0:1
• power: 190kW at 6,400rpm, torque: 320Nm at 4,800rpm
• transmission: 5m, four wheel drive
• suspension: MacPherson strut/ multi-link, brakes: disc/disc, ABS
• tyres: 215/45R17, fuel-tank: 64L
• fuel consumption: 11.0L/100km city, 8.6L/100km highway (claimed)
• price: $55,130 ($au 8/2001)
• released: 8/2001 in .au

- www.4wdonline.com/4WD.html

2001 July: There are few external differences to the 2002 model year Subaru Liberty. The bumpers, headlights and grille have been tweaked a bit. There is also revised interior trim on the 2.0 GX and the RX. The centre seat on station wagons now has an adjustable head-rest.

The Liberty RX 2.5 manual models have "dual mass flywheels" for better NVH. The rear suspension subframe has been made more rigid. The `Heritage' gains an off-switch for the Vehicle Dynamic Control system, so the VDC can be over-ridden in heavy snow, ice or mud below 60km/h.

Prices: GX sedan $29,990, GX wagon $31,860, RX sedan $36,890, RX wagon $38,290, Heritage sedan $41,890, Heritage wagon $46,590 (auto +$1,990, Heritage auto' only, $au 7/2001).

Still to come is the Liberty B4 twin-turbo, due in August.

2000 August: The all all-wheel-drive Subaru Liberty gets its mid-term updates which include minor cosmetic changes to trim, bumpers, lights and wheels.

The body shell is substantially unchanged although the door pillar is reinforced for better protection from side impacts.

The suspension has been revised, both the improve handling and also durability.

The big technological development is the new vehicle dynamics control (VDC) - Subaru's take on electronic stability (control | programme), where a computer can vary torque and braking effort to correct or minimise skids; wheel speed and steering position sensors, together with accelerometers provide inputs to a 16-bit CPU doing the decision making. VDC is available on the Liberty Heritage wagon only (as yet, evidently adding about $2.5K).

Prices: GX sedan manual $29,380,  GX sedan auto' $31,250,  GX wagon manual $31,250,  GX wagon auto' $33,120,  RX sedan manual $35,620,  RX sedan auto' $37,490,  RX wagon manual $37,020,  RX wagon auto' $38,890,  Heritage sedan auto' $40,520,  Heritage wagon auto' $45,140, rrp excluding orc $au 8/2000 - © L. A11ison.

The Subaru Outback has also been updated.

Go to the 1999, 1998, 1997 and Subaru pages