2009 Subaru Forester

In what will be the first major overhaul of Subaru’s trademark boxer engine in 20 years, the automaker plans to introduce a next-generation, horizontally opposed engine by the end of the year. The model will first debut in the Forester crossover and then make its way into other Subaru models, according to a report by Japan”s Nikkei Sangyo business daily.

The new powerplant will make its way into the Legacy sedan, Impreza and Exiga, a minivan sold only in Japan. Sources say that the new boxer engine will get 10 percent better mileage than the outgoing one. Nikkei Sangyo says that the engine will be a 4-cylinder, horizontally opposed ‘boxer’ ranging between 2.0 and 2.5 liters.

A spokesman for Fuji Heavy Industries, the company that owns Subaru, said that the company would introduce a new engine by year end, however, he declined to give specifications.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)