Twin-turbocharged power like nothing B4

After Subaru's recent success with the turbo-charged Forester GT and Impreza WRX, it comes as no surprise that yet another performance vehicle has arrived at Subaru dealers.

It's interesting to note, however, that outside Japan, Australia is the first territory where the new Liberty has been officially released. The same goes for the Nissan 200SX, so now Australia can claim we have two vehicles that not too many other markets have direct access to.

Just recently, the new Liberty B4 arrived in the country. It's one of the most powerful luxury cars to ever hit local shores, but can be nabbed for a just over $55,000. Bargain hunters take note.

If you thought Lexus had power and prestige down to an art, we dare you to drive one of these puppies and not come away with a grin from ear-to-ear.

While technically a luxury sedan, the new Liberty was designed for both casual driver and hoon. But first you must understand that this impressive piece of machinery runs twin-turbos.

At low revs, the car uses just one of the two available turbos. To spool both up, all the time, would be overkill (but still lots of fun!).

So when cruising below 4,000rpm, the B4 uses just the primary turbo. Give it some stick, rev above 4,500 and the secondary turbo kicks in - and we really mean kick.

Taking off from standstill in the B4 is both exciting and intriguing at the same time. Naturally, it's quick. 0-100km/h in just 6.5 seconds. But the feel is very different to most cars.

Clutch out, throttle down, the car lurches forward. With plenty of acceleration, the car levels out after about 1.0 second.

Then, just when you think you can't be squeezed into your plush leather seat any harder, an even more intense rush of speed occurs as the needle passes 4,500rpm and stetches up past 7,000rpms.

Now the turbos are working in tandem and this 'after-shock' occurs because the exhaust pressure is switching from one tubro to two - hence providing more power. We love dual-stage twin-turbochargers at the Wombat...

The B4 runs a relatively small 2.0-litre block. Compare this to a sports-model VX Commodore's all-alloy engine and there would be about 3,700 extra cubic centimetres of displacement in the latter vehicle. Yet when you think about it, if the two were to race, it would be very close to call.

The horizontally-opposed, or 'boxer', 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder engine has had the twin-turbos bolted on, as well as an intercooler.

Together with double-overhead cams and a neat sodium-filled exhaust system (allowing better transfer of heat), the Liberty B4 pushes out a whopping 190kW @ 6,400rpm. That's 26kW more than the WRX. Peak torque is 320Nm @ 4,800 - more than enough to get you around in a hurry.

There is even a 206kW Liberty B4, but this is only for sale in Japan. Because they have access to 100 RON fuel this is possible, but here we only have a maximum of 98 RON fuel - the lower octane level means the car needed to be de-tuned to be reliable.

Due to the increased power, braking and handling have been upgraded as compared to the standard Liberty. With Blistein inverted front struts and rear dampers, the B4 has been set up for high rigidity, but a smooth ride, too.

The braking package comprises discs all round and an anti-lock braking system. Up front, mated to two-piston calipers, are whopping 16-inch vented discs.

At the rear 15-inch discs have been fitted with single-piston calipers with the end result a nice, predictable feel with plenty of stopping power.

Inside the new Subaru you get a funky leather Momo steering wheel and even a seven-speaker McIntosh audio system, replete with rear-mounted 60W sub-woofer!

The black leather trim looks excellent with the blue leather inserts and the driver's seat comes with a six-way electrical adjuster, ensuring perfect lumbar support no matter what your body size.

From the outside, the Liberty B4 doesn't look too racy, but the subtle bonnet scoop is a dead give away as to the car's turbocharged nature.

The revised headlight cluster looks very nice, particularly the new indicator design. New fog lights and a larger front apron also lend an air of 'go-faster' to the car.

As far as footwear goes, the Subaru comes with 17-inch BBS alloys, only just containing the disc brakes hidden beneath. These after-market mags help reduce the overall weight of the car, which comes to 1495kg with a full tank of fuel (64-litres).

Low side skirts and a rear-spoiler round out the package and offer slightly better aerodynamics. On the whole, the Liberty B4 isn't drastically different from its precursor, but this the subtle changes made definitely improve the overall image.

The Subaru Liberty B4 is one of the most impressive cars we've ever profiled and, coupled with all-wheel drive, dual-stage twin-turbos and a host of other delectable features, it's very hard to find fault.

The only quibble we had with it was the inclusion of a five-speed transmission. With an extra cog and perhaps a closer ratio, the car would have been an absolute world-beater.

As it stands, however, the new B4 is still one amazing piece of kit. For the asking price, there's nothing better. Period.

Its luxury competitors, such as the VW Passat V6 4Motion, BMW 320i and the Audi A4 turbo Quattro have finally got some serious non-Euro competition. Now, where's that twin-turbocharged Forester we requested? If you like the Liberty and want to see an even faster special edition, check out the STi Blitzen.

For $55,130, the Liberty B4 represents unprecidented value.