2015 Subaru Liberty : Pricing drops of up to $14,000

Pricing for the heavily revamped Liberty sedan (it’s only available as a sedan this time around, with the new Outback filling the role of station wagon) has dropped between $3000 for the entry-level model (down from $32,990 to $29,990 plus on-road costs), $4000 for the 2.5i (was $39,490, now $35,490) through to a huge $14,000 drop for the flagship six-cylinder model, the 3.6R, which now starts at $41,990.

It's a similar strategy to the one outlined by the brand for its Outback wagon range, which has also received big price cuts across the range. Read more about the price changes here.

Due on sale from January 2, 2015, all models in the updated Subaru Liberty range will be offered with the company’s EyeSight forward collision prevention system, which has been updated to include Pre-Collision Braking (auto low-speed braking), a new Pre-Collision Steering Assist (auto low-speed obstacle avoidance) system, lane-sway and departure warning, and adaptive cruise control.

The model line-up starts with the 2.5i powered by a four-cylinder ‘boxer’ engine. This version - as with the Outback - gets a modest power increase to 129kW (was 127kW), while torque remains at 235Nm. All Liberty models are offered with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) as standard, and power is sent to all four wheels via the brand’s symmetrical all-wheel drive system.

The same 2.5-litre engine is also found in the mid-spec 2.5i Premium, though both have identical fuel consumption figures of 7.3 litres per 100 kilometres, a drop of 7.6 per cent compared to the model it replaces. All four-cylinder Liberty models have engine stop-start as standard.

The top-end model is the 3.6R, which is powered by a 3.6-litre six-cylinder 'boxer' engine pumping out 191kW of power and 350Nm of torque, and while the 3.6-litre engine misses out on stop-start, its new CVT auto (in place of the existing five-speed 'box) helps cut fuel consumption by 3.9 per cent to 9.9L/100km.

The Liberty - which competes with the likes of the Volkswagen Passat and Mazda 6 - also gains new touchscreen infotainment units across the line-up, along with items such as a reverse-view camera, auto headlights, auto wipers, fog-lights, 18-inch alloy wheels, and the company’s SI-Drive multimode driving system that allows the car to run in Intelligent (fuel-efficient), Sport (quick) and Sport# (sport sharp, fastest throttle and mimicked shift speed – only for the top-end 3.6R).

The aforementioned EyeSight system being offered as standard complements a strong safety setup for the all-new model, which recently received the best ever crash result for the Japanese brand with a five-star ANCAP rating and a score of 35.99 out of a possible 37 marks. It has seven airbags as standard, including dual-front, front side, full length curtain and driver's knee protection.

All Liberty models come with a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, 12 months roadside assistance, and Subaru’s capped price servicing program.

2015 Subaru Liberty key features model by model

2.5i:
- Seven airbags, including driver’s knee airbag, dual front, dual front-side, and full-length curtain ‘bags
- EyeSight driver assist system
- Reverse-view camera
- Touchscreen audio system with Bluetooth, voice command and six speakers
- Climate-control air-conditioning – dual zone, with rear vents
- Electric parking brake
- Leather steering wheel with audio and cruise controls
- Multi-information driver display
- Paddleshifters
- Rain sensing auto windscreen wipers, auto-off headlights, front fog-lights
- 18-inch alloy wheels – full-sized alloy spare
- Headlights auto on/off
- Privacy glass (rear)

2.5i Premium (adds over 2.5i):
- Chrome ring-surround fog lights
- Electric adjustable driver and front passenger seats with driver’s lumbar support
- Electric sunroof
- Enhanced infotainment system with satellite navigation and Pandora music app
- Front wiper de-icer
- Electric folding mirrors with heating
- Heated front seats
- Smart key entry and push-button start
- Leather trim
- LED low-beam headlights with washers
- Piano black interior trim highlights

3.6R (adds over 2.5i Premium):

- Chrome rear garnish
- Chrome side sill garnish
- Dual exhaust
- harman/kardon 12-speaker sound system with sub-woofer
- Three-mode SI-Drive

2015 Subaru Liberty pricing plus on-road costs (changes in brackets)

Liberty 2.5i CVT - $29,990 (-$3000 or 9.1 per cent)
Liberty 2.5i Premium CVT - $35,490 (-$4000 or 10.1 per cent)
Liberty 3.6R - $41,990 (-$14,000 or 25 per cent)

Stay tuned for our review of the 2015 Subaru Liberty later this week.