Heavy Metal

Towards the end of July last year, I joined Motor Image Pilipinas’ General Manager Nicky Mariano for the Subaru Advanced Driving Course in Sepang, Malaysia. Worldwide, Subaru has never been known for making mass-market automobiles in the same vein as giants like Toyota or General Motors. The mother company of Subaru (pronounced "Su-bah-roo", by the way) even has a name that connotes earth movers rather than automobiles — Fuji Heavy Industries — although 90.3% of its business is made up of automobiles while the rest is in aerospace, industrial products, and "eco technologies".

But to driving enthusiasts, especially World Rally Championship fans, Subaru is a name synonymous with driving machines. And every year, Motor Image, which is the official distributor of Subaru in Southeast Asia, hosts an Advanced Driving Course for predominantly Impreza WRX and STi owners so they can safely harness their steed’s high performance in the real world. People in the colder climes of the US and Japan also patronize the brand for its all-weather versatility, by the way.

At the time, the idea of Subaru seriously doing business in the Philippines was still admittedly a stretch. The business environment in Manila was still shaky, and the first dealership in EDSA was still pretty much a big excavation hole in the ground right next to the Ford showroom. Anything could happen between then and the projected launch a year after.

Past Subaru initiatives by first, Columbian Autocar, and then General Motors Automobiles Philippines had also failed to make a serious impression on the automotive market, so I personally figured that the public would be skeptical about a brand that had initially sizzled and then fizzled in the past. But after a day of drills and hot laps around Sepang International Circuit, I had a feeling that Motor Image’s initiative on the Philippine market would be much more successful.

That is, if they would bring in the cars that would give that helpful boost of "special-ness" to a niche brand like Subaru, cars that would get well-to-do enthusiasts into its future EDSA showroom. During the Advanced Driving Course, we got to drive a plain-Jane Impreza (boring), the Legacy (interesting), and the Forester Turbo (surprisingly good). The stars were, of course, the Impreza WRX and STi, the WRC-inspired driving machines that are to Subaru what the Evolution series is to Mitsubishi.

Fast-forward to July 2006 and Motor Image Pilipinas’ showroom is now a gleaming reality, a five-level "Subaru Center" with a museum-like ambience and 10 computerized work bays in the service area. A separate warehouse also has in stock all the essential spare parts customers would require over the life of its cars. It’s proof that they’re serious this time, that they won’t leave buyers scrounging for hard-to-find parts in the near future.

Most importantly, it has a quartet of all-wheel drive products, none of which could possibly be described as "boring". They can’t be, anyway. With the cheapest one ringing the cash register at almost P1.3M, these are decidedly not everyday cars. During that Advanced Driving Course, Nicky admitted that they would not be bringing in any entry-level models.

Technology has a price, of course, and for the prices they would be imposing, the most important technologies that the cars would have would be the two that have clearly identified Subaru over the years: all-wheel drive, and the horizontally-opposed engine configuration. Whether Filipinos need all-wheel drive or not is a matter for debate, but that’s how all Subarus roll out of the factory in Japan.

"Symmetrical all-wheel drive" is actually the more correct term for the technology, as Subaru’s is the only system that positions all the components (powertrain, propeller shaft, rear differential, etc) in a linear layout that’s symmetrical on a left-right axis, thus producing excellent left-right weight balance. In addition, there is good front-rear weight distribution lent by the placement of the transmission and other heavy components within the wheelbase. The symmetry combined with the front-rear weight distribution creates an agile, stable platform no matter what the model.

Automatic transmission-equipped models use an electronically managed, variable transfer clutch in the transaxle tail shaft. Power is normally split 90% front and 10% rear, but the torque split can be instantly adjusted in the event of tire slippage. Manual transmission-equipped models, on the other hand, use a viscous coupling in a center differential inside the transaxle case. The normal power split is 50% front-50% rear, but slippage at either end will cause the unit to vary the torque distribution in favor of the wheels with the best traction.

As for the horizontally opposed engine layout, the cylinders are laid out in a flat, 180-degree configuration. More commonly referred to as a "boxer" design because of the opposing pistons’ jabbing motions towards each other, this rather unconventional approach creates a unique burbling sound that’s off-putting at first, but which benefits the driver in the form of smoother operation throughout the engine range (as the pistons cancel each other’s vibration out), more refined power delivery, and a lower center of gravity than with more common inline or V-type engine layouts.

Only time will tell if the market will embrace Subaru this time around, but from the looks of this all-wheel drive lineup, as well as the reassuring presence of that Subaru Center, Motor Image has made sure to cement the bond between the brand and that invaluable spirit of "driving excitement".

Forester 2.0/2.5 Turbo

First introduced by GM Automobile Philippines several years ago, the mini-SUV made a tiny splash in the market thanks to its sterling driving dynamics. However, mainstream buyers couldn’t find an angle to love, and its smooth-but-slow performance failed to win over the enthusiast crowd. Style-conscious buyers might still take up issue with the looks now, but this time, enthusiasts won’t be disappointed.

The "base" model (P1,296,754) gets by with a 2.0-liter DOHC unit rated at 158PS and 19kg-m of torque and comes with a 4-speed AT, climate control, duarl SRS airbags, ABS, and 60-series tires on sport rims. The 2.5 Turbo (P1,658,102) model has some serious scoot with 230PS and 32.6kg-m of torque and adds a 2-stage sunroof, side airbags, and stickier 55-series, 17-inch tires.

Legacy

For the Accord/Camry/Galant crowd, the Legacy (P1,560,275)comes to the fore with pleasantly rakish styling and the promise of driving precision thanks to AWD and that boxer engine. A 2-liter DOHC flat-four belts out 165PS at 6,800 rpm and 19.1 kg-m of torque at 3,200 rpm through a 4-speed automatic with sequential Sportshift.

It should appeal to executives tired of that me-too character with its driver-oriented cockpit and driving dynamics. It rolls on low-profile 45-series, 17-inch tires suspended by a front strut, rear multilink suspension. Like any self-respecting executive car, it’s loaded with plush leather upholstery, automatic climate control, keyless entry, and a premium sound system.

Outback 3.0

Combining station-wagon style with a little SUV demeanor, the Outback is Subaru’s flagship "crossover" model. Based on the Legacy series, this flagship station wagon benefits from increased ground clearance for increased climbing and rough-road prowess: 200mm. versus 155mm. for the Legacy wagon, which isn’t available anyway.

The cabin is as luxurious as you’d expect any car costing P2,257,555 to be, with standard goodies like leather, foglamps, climate control, 8-way power driver’s seat, and a sunroof. Under the hood is Subaru’s biggest engine in the lineup: a 3-liter, 24-valve, DOHC flat-six rated at 245PS and 30.3 kg-m of torque harnessed to a 5-speed automatic with sequential Sportshift. Like the Legacy, it uses a front strut, rear multilink suspension but rides on more comfort oriented 55-series, 17-inch tires. ABS and front, side, and curtain airbags are standard safety equipment.

Impreza WRX Turbo

Hide your daughter if her date shows up in one of these. Although the 280PS STi is Subaru’s resident bad boy, the slightly more civil WRX is no slouch. The 2.5-liter, turbocharged DOHC flat-four belts out "only" 230PS at 5,600 rpm and 32.6 kg-m of torque, but also comes with a price tag of just P1,755,251. For a rally-inspired sports sedan that’ll beat up on more than a few Europeans, that seems like a fair deal.

The WRX also comes with a body kit and the rear wing from Hell, although it’s safe to say that it’s fully deserving of such visual excitement. Inside, the basic Impreza cockpit is spruced up with serious bucket seats, a short-throw 5-speed stick shift, and closely spaced aluminum pedals. Front struts and a rear dual-link suspension setup combine with the all-wheel drive for cutthroat handling. ABS complements the all-disk brakes, while front airbags are standard.