Subaru Liberty 2.5i Premium 2015 review

Talk about domestic blindness.

It only took me 614.9 kilometres to finally find the clock in the new Subaru Liberty. But there it was winking at me all along, a tiny digital display just to the right of the left hand temperature display.

Did I feel like a goose - I couldn't work out how Subaru had managed to overlook something so obvious - but of course they hadn’t.

It's all business when it comes to the corners

Design

Wow. First impressions really do count and the interior of the new sixth generation Liberty looks and feels classy. It's finished in a combination of black leather, dark grey woodgrain and brushed aluminium tones that carry a largish, piano black touch screen inset into the dash. Take a closer look however and you'll discover it's actually plastic - even though you'd never know.

Value

New Liberty is priced from $29,990 which includes an auto, cloth trim, climate air and 18 inch alloys. For $35,490 you can have the 2.5i Premium model which adds leather, heated seats, satellite navigation and a sunroof. Then there's the top of the line six cylinder 3.6R from $41,990. Subaru has cut its prices and the 2.5i Premium is 10 per cent less than the model it replaces which represents excellent value for money.

Safety

Subaru has made a career out of safety and the new Liberty is testament to their congoing commitment.

It gets all the gear including seven airbags and a rear view camera, plus Subaru's new Eyesight auto braking system, which is also standard too.

This is like having a second set of eyes to keep watch over the vehicle, ready to apply the brakes if you're not quick enough. And it works, we've had first-hand experience.

Engine / Transmission

The 2.5-litre four cylinder boxer engine has plenty to offer the undemanding driver.

It delivers 129kW of power and 235Nm of torque, the latter from 4000 revs.

If that's not enough for you, there's always the 191kW six.

Significant changes to the intake, exhaust and combustion systems which have helped to improve fuel economy and get consumption down to 7.3L/100km - an improvement on 7.6 per cent.

The engine features auto stop-start and is paired with a CVT style auto that continuously varies the drive ratio to optimise the balance between power and economy.

The CVT also offers a stepped or manual mode, with six distinct gears that can be invoked via the gear change paddles or simply by punching the accelerator. The intuitive system knows when you want sport mode.

CVTs have been criticised for their characteristic zoomy, slurred feel, but this one is a keeper.

There's also a choice of drive modes - intelligent or sport mode.

Driving

First up let's talk about the car's ride and handling because it's very good.

At almost 4.8 metres in length, the Liberty has grown over the years and its increased size has brought with a more composed, big car feel - the kind of feel you get with a Falcon or Commodore.

There’s a reassuring thump from the suspension, just like a big car. But it's all business when it comes to the corners, sitting flat and in control even when pushed enthusiastically.

Throttle response is sharp, more so in sport mode and enhanced by the CVT's ability to deliver the torque when you need it, slipping into cruise mode on the motorway but slipping imperceptibly into geared mode when you hit the accelerator. It truly brings together the best of both worlds.

In the past, one of the major complaints about most Subaru's has been their high fuel usage. All-wheel drive is a great feature, but driving all four wheels also drives up the fuel consumption.

They have managed to pull back fuel usage, at a claimed 7.3L/100km, although we were getting 7.9 after 630km.