Subaru keeps its big secret

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), Feb 16, 2007

Subaru has finally developed a diesel engine but it could be up to a year before it makes its long overdue appearance beneath the bonnet of one of the their vehicles.

The engine will be displayed at next month's Geneva Motor Show but Subaru declined to give any details at this stage.

Geneva has been chosen for its public showing as an indication of the importance of the European market for diesel-powered cars.

Subaru's sales have been badly affected by the lack of an oil-burning option, which now account for about a third of all new cars in the UK.

All the company is saying about the new engine is that it is a Boxer unit which makes it more compact and gives the vehicles a lower centre of gravity.

It will be the world's first horizontally-opposed turbo diesel, which means the cylinders lie flat rather than being upright or at 45 degrees in a V format.

As an engine is the heaviest component in any vehicle, the lower centre of gravity has a big effect on handling.

Although Subaru is not saying which of its vehicles will get the diesel option first, it is likely to be the Legacy.