Subaru SVX Surprise

As good SVX-pected.

Inspection of Subaru's new SVX at the auto shows ought to have convinced us that this is the car to finally break completely with the Fuji subsidiary's utilitarian style. But it was a 3250-mile trip from Oregon to Ann Arbor that really demonstrated how climactic the shift in market focus has been.

In fact, Subaru of America is so perplexed by the position its new model occupies on the crowded U.S. sales chart that it has been accepting pitches from various advertising agencies in its search for a way to market the car. Early direct-mail probes have revealed poor response from the usual Subaru strongholds in the Northeast and Rockies states, and warm response from former Subaru dead zones like Southern California.

And why not? The SVX is a car more in the vein of the Dodge Stealth and the Nissan 300ZX than it is like any Loyale or Legacy. And its Giugiaro styling is so original and quirky that it is likely to attract sharply individualistic supporters. But let's face it, with a great new flat-six powerplant and electronically controlled four-speed automatic, a full-time four-wheel driveline with computer-controlled torque-split function, four-channel ABS, and an interior lined in cool faux suede, this is an identity problem many carmakers wish they had.

Obviously, the most contentious aspect of the car is its window-within-a-window glasshouse, with the strange black seals that bisect its panes. After driving the car, however, the matter recedes into utter insignificance, and the black lines begin to look as normal as the frames of sunglasses. Anyway, the

advantages of the huge sweeps of glass (which meet outside the body pillars) far outweigh the slightly unusual appearance. Besides, you can drive with the windows down with little turbulence, and the car's drag coefficient is a class-leading 0.29.

But it's not only in the window area that the SVX is unusual. Consider the engine. It's a flat-six with a displacement of 3.3 liters and four-valve combustion chambers controlled by two cams per bank. The exhaust cams are belt driven, and the inlet cams are driven off them via "scissors" gears--gears split to handle lash. The cylinders are fed in appropriate sequence by dual-nozzle injectors and fired by direct-ignition modules. Air induction is manipulated by a twin-throttle, dual-volume plenum that separates or connects two spaces to suit the engine's optimal intake resonances, and this bumps the torque curve abundantly both in the midrange and in the 4000-plus-rpm area.

The result is 230 bhp at 5400 rpm and 224 pounds-feet of torque at 4400 rpm. If you think that sounds pretty good, you ought to hear the exhaust note. It's so silky smooth that it makes the Porsche 911 (another flat-six, remember) sound utterly ragged. There's no wobble or waver in the solid sweet note from the twin tailpipes as it changes from a low, muted hum to the urgent--but still quiet--hornlike blare.

Step on the pedal at a stop sign, and the SVX takes off on a generous surge of torque, with the kind of response many people will equate with a big V-8. Because the opposed engine has no primary or secondary vibration characteristics and the four-wheel-drive transmission is so well integrated, the SVX leaves with smooth, almost hydraulic thrust. And with considerable poise, too, thanks to well-subdued squat and dive motions.

Tastefully trimmed in Ecsaine--a synthetic suede--the SVX cabin features flowing dash-to-door continuity, a hidden stereo system, and a demure faux walnut dash capping. A button on the end of the light control stalk offers full bright instrument lighting for driving at dusk.

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Little effort is lost in getting the 3525-pound vehicle moving. Subaru claims 7.6 seconds for the standstill-to-sixty flog, but we managed 7.2 seconds on the stopwatch on one try, so the company's figure is conservative.

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Punch it hard, and several things happen. The transmission--which has two-level control mapping--selects the "power" mode for later upshifts and earlier kickdown. The multiplate clutch mechanism between the front and rear axles shifts from its usual 60/40 front-to-rear setting (the same as the weight distribution) to shunt more torque to the rear wheels for better traction. Speed sensors at the wheels instruct the control computer when disparities occur between axles, and the clutch pack is modulated accordingly. Thus, little effort is lost in getting the 3525-pound vehicle moving. Subaru claims 7.6 seconds for the standstill-to-sixty flog, but we managed 7.2 seconds on the stopwatch on one try, so the company's figure is conservative.

At full throttle, the flat-six revs right to the solid red at 7000 rpm before shifting up, and although first-to-second and second-to-third shifts are smoothed by a shift-energy strategy that cuts fuel to three cylinders momentarily, the next ratio hooks up pretty quickly. In fact, up- and downshifts are accomplished promptly during full-throttle operation. An electronically controlled hydraulic torque converter lockup mechanism operates on all gears except first and does so with a two-phase action to minimize abrupt driveline sensations.

The result is a powertrain that rivals the Lexus V-8 for smoothness and refinement, in a vehicle that offers much more entertainment than the LS400. But then it should. Its real rivals are the normally aspirated Nissan 300ZX (which it would appear to outperform) and the front-wheel-drive Mitsubishi 300OGT/Dodge Stealth models. Subaru's all-wheel drive is an advantage over those cars, as is a degree of usable rearseat space. Although headroom in the back is not great, the legroom there is enough to recall the days of real two-plus-twos.

Furnishings in the SVX provide the driver plenty of room with a seat that offers cushion height adjustment, rake and lumbar adjustment, and over nine inches of fore and aft travel. The touring package includes leather upholstery and power adjustment of the driver's seat. Although the power cushion height adjustment fails to describe the same radii as the limbs of a six-and-a-half-foot-tall driver, and the side bolsters are placed too narrowly for that same person, there still was relatively little discomfort suffered on a seven-day, 3250-mile trip.

Most of the opposed engine is hidden from view, but the dual-volume induction plenum and the headers are clearly visible.

Furnishings in the SVX provide the driver plenty of room with a seat that offers cushion height adjustment, rake and lumbar adjustment, and over nine inches of fore and aft travel. The touring package includes leather upholstery and power adjustment of the driver's seat. Although the power cushion height adjustment fails to describe the same radii as the limbs of a six-and-a-half-foot-tall driver, and the side bolsters are placed too narrowly for that same person, there still was relatively little discomfort suffered on a seven-day, 3250-mile trip.

In fact, the car was a delight in every way. It has the wonderfully flat ride of a skillfully buttoned-down sports car, with steering that is not too quick off center to be nervous or so slow that it demands big inputs to avoid obstacles. All SVXs have variable-assist servo at the helm, but only the touring package gives you a leather-wrapped hoop that enjoys vehicle-speed-sensitive steering. The rest have the hydraulic help diminished according to engine speed. Either way, the car comers flat and stable, with generous 50-series Bridgestones and the all-wheel traction lending a great sense of security. For a car with such disciplined roll, dive, and squat control, the ride is surprisingly

comfortable. Both axles are mounted on subframes specially tuned with silicon-filled or rubber-and-metal bushes, and suspension action is consequently well isolated.

Only on ridges and breaks that run across the road does the SVX's taut stance produce mildly vulgar responses. A thump can be heard at higher speeds, whereas the car will "climb over" bumps at pedestrian speeds. This is probably due to the car's substantial roll stiffness adding to overall spring stiffness when both wheels on one axle encounter a bump at the same time. Let us stress, however, that the Subaru's ride is one of the best compromises of body motion control and comfort we've seen.

Despite the considerable mass of the car, its feel is essentially wieldy. The SVX's general demeanor is one of versatility. There seems to be no pace at which it is not happy, nor one it particularly prefers. The car simply goes at whatever speed you desire, always with enough aplomb to make the experience worth anticipating. In seven days of driving, our enthusiasm to get back into the SVX never waned. As soon as we can, we're bringing one to Ann Arbor for a Four Seasons test. That about says it all.

GENERAL:
Front-engine, 4-wheel-drive coupe
2+2-passenger, 2-door steel body
Base price $25,000/price as tested $28,250

ENGINE:
24-valve DOHC horizontally opposed 6, aluminum block and heads
Bore x stroke 3.82 x 2.95 in (97.0 x 75.0 mm)
Displacement 202 cu in (3317 cc)
Compression ration 10.0:1
Fuel system sequential multipoint injection
Power SAE net 230 bhp @ 5400 rpm
Torque SAE net 224 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm
Redline 7000 rpm

DRIVETRAIN:
4-speed automatic transmission
Gear rations (I) 2.79 (II) 1.55 (III) 1.00 (IV) 0.69
Final drive ratio 3.55:1

MEASUREMENTS:
Wheelbase 102.8 in
Track front/rear 59.1/58.3 in
Length x width x height 182.1 x 69.7 x 51.2 in
Curb weight 3525 lb
Weight distribution front/rear 60/40%
Ground clearance 5.3 in
Coefficient of drag 0.29
Fuel capacity 18.5 gal
Cargo capacity 8.2 cu ft

SUSPENSION:
Independent front, with damper struts, lower A-arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Independent rear, with dapmer struts, dual lateral links, trailing links, coil springs, anti-roll bar

STEERING:
Rack-and-pinion, variable-power-assisted
Turns lock to lock 3.1
Turning circle 35.4 ft

BRAKES:
Vented discs front
Discs rear
Anti-lock system

WHEELS AND TIRES:
16 x 7.5-in cast aluminum wheels
255/50VR-16 Bridgestone Potenza RE71 tires

PERFORMANCE (manufacturer's data):
0-60 mph in 7.6 sec
Standing 1/4-mile in 15.6 sec
Top speed 143 mph
Pounds per bhp 15.3
EPA city driving 17 mpg
Observed fuel economy 24 mpg