2003 B4 finally gets auto gearbox

Ever since the Subaru Liberty B4 launched in August of 2001, people having been saying one thing - it's fast. Oh, and many buyers have been holding back because it was only offered in a manual.

Subaru has one of the best customer relations records and, as such, has come to the rescue of automatic gearbox fans across Australia by delivering the snappy 2003 model-year Liberty B4 with either the exisiting manual or a new automatic with Sportshift.

Firstly, we'll look at the Sportshift model, which Subaru is predicting will acount for some 80 per cent of twin-turbo B4 sales. Nick Senior, the GM of Subaru Australia, had this to say about the new auto: "This expands the appeal of Liberty B4 still further, as a great performer in the best grand tourer tradition.

"It creates a new market for Liberty B4, which has already firmly established its credentials with a manual transmission."

Indeed, selling an average of 50 manual B4s a month, since launch, is quite a feat, and Subaru Australia is beaming with delight that it can now offer the Sportshift auto model.

Interestingly, the auto B4 will differ to the manual version when it comes to power - the Sportshift has been de-tuned to better suit the automatic gear changes, but don't fret, it's still a blisteringly quick luxury car.

How does 0-100km/h from rest in just 7.1 seconds sound. Not good enough? Then how about a quarter mile (400 metres) dash of 15.1 seconds. No other Japanese luxury car in Australia comes close to this, and for the asking price of under 60 grand, we reckon it's brilliant value.

Another new feature of the automatic Sportshift model are the F1-inspired paddle shifts on the steering wheel. The usual auto shifter located between driver and front passenger is still there (see photo), but now with the steering-wheel mounted shifters, drivers won't have to take their hands from the wheel. This will mean a lot to drivers who take their motoring seriously, allowing more control over the vehicle during shifts.

The manual version is worth 190kW, and the new Sportshift auto version has shed 14kW, dropping to 176kW. Like we mentioned earlier, this de-tuning was to ensure the engine output matches the shift characteristics of the automatic transmission. The idea is to have a smooth torque delivery and avoid "shift shock" when changing gears up or down.

The sequential twin-turbo's peak power of 176kW hits @ 6000rpm and max torque is 309Nm @ 4800rpm.

The die-hards will still want to stick with the 190kW manual version, which has 11 extra Newtons than the auto, making 320Nm @ 4800rpm. For more info on how the twin-turbo mill works, check out our first look at the manual B4 - click here.

Back to the new 2003 auto model now, and seeing as how it's an all-wheel drive beast, the torque split between front and rear is managed by Subaru's VTD, or advanced Variable Torque Distribution.

In a nutshell, it retains the marque's respected all-wheel drive systems, while at the same time giving the car a more progressive cornering feel, which Subaru notes is more often associated with rear-wheel drive vehicles.

This is possible because the VTD, as the name suggests, can vary the torque distribution. Standard slow speed driving or cruising will see a 45:55 (front/rear) ratio. However, the system can transfer more torque to the front wheels when the rear wheels start to skid, which can happen under heavy acceleration, for instance, and so diverts more torque to the front wheels for better stability.

The VTD works out the optimum torque split via a number of inputs, such as speed, gear range, accelerator pedal position and rotational differences between front and rear wheels. It's quite nifty really, and also comes into play when the car encounters differing driving conditions, such as icy or wet surfaces.

Both the manual and auto Sportshift 2003 models will be locally available from July, and both feature a few cosmetic upgrades, to boot. The new look 17-inch five spoke alloys are a marketed improvement over the outgoing BBS wheels and give the new B4 a more athletic look, while the fog light surrounds are slightly changed for the '03 model also. Redesigned mirrors look rather nice and also serve to reduce water build-up on the surface, thanks to new aerodynamics.

Well, the automatic transmission fans can now rejoice and with the option of two B4s, Subaru is predicting a jump in sales, too. The tweaked looks are pleasing to eye and, rather than just slapping in a heavy-duty auto 'box, Subaru has done its homework, coming up with what we think is one of the best cars available in Australia today.

Pricing:

Liberty B4 automatic $55,130
Liberty B4 manual $55,130