Subaru to get full overhaul?

... I don’t think we’d get too many arguments. Just take a quick look at their 2010 Legacy and Outback models and you’ll see what we mean.

And we don’t think you’d disagree too much if we dared to say that the company hadn’t actually advanced its engineering capabilities that much either over the last two decades. Okay, they switched from twin-turbos to a single turbo setup on the Legacy back in the early part of the century and added their first 6-speed manual gearbox to the Impreza, but that’s about it.

Well, all that’s about to change. With an all-new design direction, a brand new boxer engine range and that controversial tie-up with Toyota, expect to see some radical changes in the Subaru camp over the next 2-3 years. The first evidence of this rebirth comes in the form of their “Confidence-in-motion” concept unveiled at the recent L.A. auto show.

That sharp looking design study might have been the base for its next Impreza, but those aggressive lines and proportions are what we can actually expect to see across the entire lineup. Just check out our two exclusive sketches, which reveal how one artist sees the Subaru version of the FT-86 due for 2012, as well as the Legacy Hybrid slated to debut in 2013.

Ignoring the emotional phrasing (confidence-in-motion!?), we think that these two designs – especially that new signature grille and headlight combination - are right on the money and help transport Subaru out of the ‘dull and boring’ basket, and straight into the ‘time-to-pay-attention-to’ category.

And that’s just where company’s rejuvenation starts. For those versed with Subaru’s well-known EJ-type boxer engine, which has powered nearly every model since 1989 (albeit in slightly revised variants), you will no doubt have heard about the brand new FB-type boxer engine, officially launched on September 23.

That means that this engine is Subaru’s first all-new horizontally-opposed powerplant in 21 years!  The 1995 cc FB20’s claim to fame is its longer stroke, which means that it’s able to achieve maximum torque at lower revs, in addition to beefier power delivery and 10 percent better fuel consumption.

The first model to employ the new FB20 engine will be the Subaru rendition of the ‘FT-86,’ co-developed with Toyota and due in 2012. Using that engine as a base, engineers will revise the head unit “by adding port injection” says one insider, to create a Toyota-like D4-S engine with around 200hp. And mated to a 6-speed manual, expect a 0-60mph sprint time of 7.5 secs.

The third piece of Subaru’s next generation jigsaw puzzle is the addition of a hybrid to their Legacy lineup. After bolting on a special Subaru-tweaked Toyota THS II hybrid unit (with Atkinson Cycle technology) to a new FB25 engine, our source tells us that company engineers will then turbocharge it for better performance and fuel economy.

By utilizing the most efficient characteristics of the boxer engine – its low center of gravity symmetrical layout – engineers will position lithium ion batteries on either side of the propeller shaft, thus extracting the most out of the Toyota-based hybrid system. Oh, and you can also expect to see all Legacy models employing CVTs in the near future, while automatic gearboxes will be phased out.

So with some sleek new lines, a new coupe, a new engine range and a new hybrid, Subaru is reinventing itself. And not a moment too soon.