Next Subaru Liberty in Tokyo concept

The Liberty will be revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show alongside the bold new BRZ sports coupe as Subaru continues the biggest new-model push in its history.

But don't be fooled by the name - or the shape. The Liberty is being previewed only as a station wagon and will wear a label as the Advanced Tourer Concept, complete with a hybrid power pack.

It is being displayed as a concept so Subaru can tweak some of the small details before dropping the car into showrooms, most likely in the second half of next year, but all the basics are the same as the production model.

Since it's being set to tackle the world's best in its class, including everything from the Mazda6 to Volkswagen Passat, the body design is much more aggressive with a pushy nose including the latest Subaru 'face', a high side profile with a muscular beltline, and accentuated wheelarches.

To power the new wagon - and the sedan that will follow - Subaru has taken its current lineup of 2.0 and 2.5-litre boxer turbo engines and downsized the cylinder block to create a new, cleaner, and more fuel- efficient 1.6-litre turbo powerplant.

But there is more. By adding a unique, Subaru-developed single-motor hybrid system with Li-ion batteries, engineers say they have been able to reduce fuel consumption while maintaining roughly the same power output as the current crop of engines.

Working together with a revised version of the company’s well-known symmetrical all-wheel drive system, the new wagon can run in electric-only EV-mode from rest and at low speeds.

The design work on the Tourer includes wood, polished aluminium and leather in the cabin, together with a full glass sunroof. Designers have fitted a large TV monitor inside the steering wheel that displays GPS sat-nav directions and has direct access to the internet.

It also incorporates the company’s EyeSight crash avoidance system which uses two cameras mounted above the rear-view mirror that monitor traffic conditions and can detect pedestrians and cyclists.

Apart from the Tourer Concept and the BRZ, the Subaru stand at the Tokyo Show will include the new Impreza G4 and the latest WRX hotrod, the STI-tuned S206 based on the existing four-door STI.