Subaru on Thursday announced that the new 2020 Legacy would be making its international debut at the Chicago Auto Show on the 7th of February. That initial announcement was made simply with a very dark version of the above image showing off the Legacy’s massive portrait-layout infotainment touch screen, automatic shifter, and a bit of very nice looking brown leather.
Sedans, particularly the mid-sized segment that the Legacy occupies, have been pushed aside in recent years for scads of crossovers. That Subaru is so heavily invested in the new sedan speaks volumes.
With competition from Toyota’s Camry, Honda’s admittedly very good Accord, and the now-available-with-AWD Nissan Altima, the Legacy has to come out of the gate swinging in order to make an impact. As such it joins the ranks of Tesla, Volvo, Ram and more in getting a giant tablet-style screen on the dash.
The Legacy sedan will take its architecture from the modular platform that underpins the existing Ascent. It is likely that Subaru will make use of an updated version of the current Legacy’s 2.5-liter flat-four hooked up to Subaru’s CVT transmission. It is unlikely that the flat-six engine will return for the 2020 model year.
It is also likely that the same platform will spawn a new Outback model in short order as well, being that the Outback is essentially a lifted Legacy wagon. This, more than anything, explains Subaru’s investment in the new Legacy sedan.
[Via Car and Driver]