Legacy could use turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder instead

Subaru is one of the last automakers to still make a six-cylinder engine available in their midsize sedan. But, if the subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries follows the downsizing trend, the 3.6L boxer six-cylinder could be replaced by a smaller turbocharged four-pot.

Speaking with CarAdvice, Yoichi Hori, deputy general manager of Subaru’s engineering department, explained the six-cylinder engine is less pervasive in the market.

“Our research said the six-cylinder model is decreasing in the world,” Hori said. “So that’s why probably the future, many companies take the smaller displacement with a turbocharger, or diesel, or hybrid.”

The Outback is currently available in China with Subaru’s 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder boxer engine. The same engine could be used in the Legacy and other models globally.