Subaru introduced the fourth generation of the Legacy in 2003 and offered it in two body-shapes: a sedan and a station wagon, and both shared the same platform with the Tribeca SUV.
While its Impreza lineup was the car that decorated dorm-rooms and smashed rally stages all over the world, the Legacy was designed as a family sedan, but without forgetting about its racing achievements. In the station wagon shape, the Legacy looked more committed to providing everything a family needed in terms of cars.
Before the 2003 Legacy, there were just a few who liked Subaru's design. The Japanese carmaker looked like it paid high-money for the engineers and lunch-money for its designers. But the 2003 Legacy was different. It still kept the frameless doors, but it added an inspired front fascia with sharp, curved headlights. The grille sported the winged badge, while the front bumper featured a wide center air intake and four side vents. In the rear, Subaru made a raked-forward tailgate with a roof-spoiler on top of it, while the wide and low opening in the bumper allowed an easier loading and unloading from the trunk.
Inside, the low seating position reminded its occupants that they are in a Subaru, not into some kind of old-fashioned box on wheels. The front bucket-seats provided, depending on the version, high-bolstering. The carmaker installed a split-folding bench for up to three passengers in the rear, but with less room for the middle one since there was a transmission tunnel that crossed the station wagon from front to back.
Under the hood, Subaru installed its famous symmetrical all-wheel-drive system connected to a choice of five boxer engines ranged between 138 hp and 260 hp, depending on the market.
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