by Dominic Franco
It would take until 1999 for Subaru
to release their 3rd generation Liberty. All models
in this series would now come standard with the All
Wheel Drive system, and Subaru went to great lengths
to promote the safety aspect. The engine options
included the 2.0 and 2.5 litre normally aspirated
overhead cam engines.
The growing list of standard safety features
included ventilated front and rear disc brakes, ABS
and driver & passenger
SRS airbags.
The Liberty wagon won the desirable
Wheels Magazine Car Of The Year in 1998 (please note
that the wagon was released prior to the sedans in
1999).
In 2001 Subaru released the wonderful (read
awesome) Liberty "B4". Powered by the EJ20B
69H
turbocharged, intercooler, DOHC, 16-valve, 2-litre
engine (it being the same basic design as the engine
found in the Impreza WRX and the Generation 1 Liberty
RS), the B4 quickly became king of the wagons, a
real drivers car with blistering performance.
It
sure looked the part too, with the fitment of 17"
alloy wheels, a body kit that included front and rear spoilers,
skirts, rear apron and an air intake bonnet scoop
- it certainly was no wolf in sheep’s clothing.
The
increased compression ratio (to 9.0:1) and sequentially-staged
twin
turbochargers allowed for a good spread of torque,
the B4's 190 kW being delivered at 6400 rpm.
){kind=logo}
