Super TestCar reviews - Subaru - Liberty - MY2007 sedan/wagon rangeSubaru modelsOverviewSubaru's popular GT moniker returns as part of the revised MY2007 Liberty range6 Sep 2006 By CHRIS HARRIS IN the true sense of the word, GT means gran turismo, and is supposedly taken from the early Italian car races like the Mille Miglia that coined the grand touring moniker. Today, many car-makers have leveraged "GT" as an indicator of performance, but for many it is just in name only. With the arrival of the 2007 Liberty models Subaru has relaunched its GT, which actually lives up to the name. Now a turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder, the Liberty GT provides excellent all-round performance with the reassurance of all-wheel drive and some of the latest techno-wizardry that allows the driver to select between three different drive modes that substantially change the car’s driving habits. It’s called Subaru Intelligent Drive and it mates well with the spirit of gran turismo. Model release date: 1 September 2006 to 1 September 2009 All car reviewsAlfa Romeo Abarth Alpine Alpina Audi Aston Martin BMW Bentley Chevrolet Chery Citroen Chrysler Dodge Cupra Ferrari DS Ford Fiat FPV Foton GWM Great Wall Holden Haval HSV Honda Hyundai Hummer Isuzu Infiniti Jeep Jaguar Lamborghini Kia LDV Land Rover Lotus Lexus Maserati Mahindra McLaren Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG Mini MG Nissan Mitsubishi Peugeot Opel Proton Porsche Renault Ram Rover Rolls-Royce Skoda Saab SsangYong Smart Suzuki Subaru Toyota Tesla Volvo Volkswagen Previous modelWhen the 2.0-litre turbo GT auto went on sale Subaru expected to sell only 50 a month. Surprise, surprise once word got out about its nimble chassis, excellent response and reasonable economy the numbers swelled to about 140 and then settled to around 100 a month. Although initially available as an auto-only, demand for a manual saw the five-speed stick-shift arrive soon after. The manual GT developed 190kW/330Nm and provided plenty of low-down response. Because of emission requirements the 2.0 GT quietly faded late in 2005 to await the arrival of the new, cleaner-burning 2.5-litre GT turbo. The last of the 2.0-litre GTs – about 300 in all – were given lowered, STi-inspired suspension, subtle chin and rear spoilers and 18-inch alloys. No doubt they’ll become collectors cars in years to come. |
Super TestClick to share
|
Facebook Twitter Instagram