SUBARU, like all motor manufacturers, has been going through the roughest patch for sales in decades.
The Japanese company, known mainly for its four-wheel-drive performance cars such as the wicked Impreza WRC, has seen its sales plunge slip by around 25 per cent during the recession.
The car scrappage scheme hasn't helped the company either. Subaru's niche market products are usually bought by individuals looking for exciting performance cars, not run-of-the-mill motors.
But Subaru is hoping to enter the mainstream market with the introduction this month of the new Subaru Legacy Tourer and off-road capable Legacy Outback.
The new models share the same platform and are longer, wider and taller than the outgoing Legacy cars.
The wheelbase has also been lengthened to give improved ride quality and another bonus is an increase of interior space for passengers and luggage.
Both the Tourer and Outback have been given a more modern and sporty body shape with a sloping roofline to the rear, new front end and grille, new headlamps and the Outback features an air duct its bonnet.
Both interiors have had a complete makeover with better quality materials being used than previously.
In both new models, I found the seating very comfortable and all-round vision was good.
The ride and handling, thanks to its all-wheel-drive, kept the Tourer and Outback safe and stable even on pretty wet and slippery conditions and the big Subarus had the solid feel of a more expensive vehicle.
My only grumble was an annoying amount of road noise, especially in the Outback, which maybe came from the choice of tyres.
The Sport Tourer version is powered by either a 2.0-litre diesel or 2.5-litre petrol Boxer four-cylinder engine with a six-speed manual gear change.
The 2.0-litre, 150bhp diesel version has a claimed top speed of 120mph and a 0-62mph time of 9.6 seconds. Subaru says you can expect to get around 46mpg on a run.
The Outback I drove was the 2.5-litre 167bhp petrol with a five-speed Lineartronic automatic box which has a clamed top speed of 120mph, a 0-62mph time of 10.4 seconds and should return around 33mpg.
The Outback will appeal more to those who live in the countryside where its higher road clearance and off-road capability will be a bonus in tricky winter conditions. Both the Sport Tourer and Outback are more than capable of being used as towing vehicles.
All Legacy models have a good standard list of comfort and safety equipment, including ABS, traction control, remote locking, immobilizer, electric windows and mirrors, adjustable steering wheel, electric seat adjustments, air conditioning, CD/radio and 17inch alloy wheels.
The Legacy Tourer is priced from £23,090 for the 2.0D S and £27,025 for the top-range 2.5i SE with navigation system and automatic transmission.
The Outback range begins at £26,065 for the entry level 2.0D SE and rises to £32,835 for the 3.6R.