Mid-sizers: The new wave

The medium car segment in Australia has been almost single-handedly reinvigorated by the impressive Mazda6, and other world markets are also paying more attention to the oft-forgotten genre.

Take Volkswagen and Subaru for instance: Both marques are on the verge of releasing updates to their medium cars that will be shipped right across the globe, some of which will find their way here.

And apart from offering a whole slew of new features and powertrains, the Japanese and German automakers have raised the bar in terms of visual appeal.

Take one look at the new Passat and Liberty and it's evident that they're leaps and bounds ahead of their precursors, with some damn spiffy styling going on behind closed doors.

At the same time, both the new Liberty and Passat bear an uncanny resemblance to each other, and both have the sharp, modern lines that make the Mazda6 so attractive. Is the medium car about to undergo a massive revival? It certainly looks that way.

But enough of the idle chit-chat - let's take a look at what the two marques will be offering when their updated mid-sizers hit the market.

First up, the new Passat codenamed PQ46 is aimed squarely at taking away market share from the BMW 3-series, which is also due for a complete face-lift towards the end of 2004.

In order to take on BMW, VW has seen fit to increase its proportions, using entirely new underpinnings. This will result in more interior room and it's expected that the German mid-sizer will also receive all the latest techno-gadgetry, such as radar-based cruise control and as many as six quippy acronyms that relate to new safety systems.

Details are sketchy as to the '05 Passat's transmission options, but rumours suggest front and all-wheel drive will be the offered in manual, auto and perhaps even a CVT or semi-manual hybrid.

A new 112kW entry-level 2.0-litre engine will kick off show room proceedings, also likely to be fitted to the new Golf coming in 2004, while a newly developed 3.2-litre V6 should impress drivers with 180kW of power on tap.

There is also talk an R32 version - kind of like the Golf R32 - which would pack a tuned and tweaked version of the 3.2-litre powerplant, rumoured to develop more than 220kW.

The most prominent feature of the new VeeDub, however, is the styling, which has a great-looking front end, and has a lot of presence, even when sitting still.

Incorporating the same 'overlap' protrusion feature seen in the new Subaru Liberty - where a xenon discharge globe adds a contrasting curve (cutting into the bumper) that helps break up the otherwise angular headlight cluster - the new VW Passat is arguably one of the company's prettiest vehicles yet.

The other new mid-sizer, which should be arriving in Australia by September this year, is Subaru's fourth generation Liberty, also known as the Legacy in other markets.

The new Liberty is easily the best-looking vehicle Subaru has ever created, and together with its chic new appearance, the Japanese medium car is also moving up market, with better interior appointments, using higher quality materials than in the superceded model.

Indeed, Subaru made it fairly clear at the Japanese launch of the new Legacy that it aims to contend with more (largely Germanic) upmarket models, and words like prestige have ingrained themselves as new Subaru Legacy-speak.

And why not use the 'P' word? Early reports from the Nihon suggest the new Legacy/Liberty range is greatly improved, with a much more sophistiated interior combining with re-jigged engines to offer a truly pampered experience.

Visually, the new Liberty has an air of elgance about it, while still offering modernistic styling cues, with even a touch of Mercedes in the rear end, thanks to the brake light cluster and more steeply raked rear window.

Only 10% of the bits and bobs of the superceded model have made the journey to the new car, and the sheet metal is completely new. The new model is slightly longer and wider, by 35mm in both instances, and weighs roughly 100kg less than the current model, which bodes well fuel consumption, handling and performance.

Also new to the vehicle's exterior is a tasty dual exhaust system for all models, which helps liberate more power from the nat-atmo models and increasing their rev ceiling has helped add more kilowatts too.

The entry-level 2.0-litre boxer engine with a single overhead camshaft is likely to be the volume seller in Australia, expected to get 11kW more than the 92kW current model's, putting the end figure at about 103kW of power @ 5600rpm. Torque is up by only 2Nm, with 186Nm @ 4400rpm.

In order to compete with the Mazda6's spirited 2.3-litre, 122kW inline four-cylinder mill, the new 2.5-litre SOHC powerplants benefit from an 8kW increase, taking the final figure to 123kW @ 5600rpm. Torque of 223Nm beats the Mazda6's 207Nm by a fair margin, but peaks higher in the rev range than last year's Liberty, now @ 4000rpm.

The final engine choice to be offered to Australian buyers will be the forced induction engine, this time with only the single turbocharger, as opposed to the current B4's twin setup.

Interestingly, the new flagship Liberty will be called the GT (a la Forester naming conventions), whose single turbine offers a more linear power delivery: The twin turbo B4 is often criticised for its two-stage delivery of power - for us, it was part of it's charm. Oh well...

Despite the dropping of the sequential twin turbos, the new 2.0-litre turbo/intercooled engine will be the only DOHC boxer engine on offer in the Liberty line-up, and like the other Liberty models, it will even be available as a wagon. The GT will get bigger wheels and a mild bodykit, while the engine produces 206kW @ 6400rpm (191kW @ 6000rpm for the auto) and 343Nm of torque @ a low 2400rpm.

Sales in the Australian mid size segment used to be dominated by the Liberty, but by February of 2003, the new Mazda6 took a whopping 30% market share, while the Subaru lingered at 10%. The brand new Liberty will go a long to clawing back market share, and may even convince those in the market for a premium vehicle to opt for a Japanese, rather than European car.

While the elegant and sporty new look - plus the re-tooled engines - are brilliant new additions to the Subaru range, perhaps the most important factor is the car's elevated stature, and we could be seeing the start of something new - that is, Subaru competing with the current kings of luxury.

This is particularly intriguing when you consider the mid-sized prestige segment will be hotly contested in the coming years with the classy new VW Passat, Mercedes C-class and BMW 3-series. Can Japan muscle in on the lucrative Euro-dominated genre? Only time will tell.

• Click here for more detailed pricing on the Subaru Liberty range

• Click here for more detailed pricing on the VW Passat range