A NEW, 200bhp-plus six-cylinder engine is to boost Subaru's drive for a more upmarket image. The Japanese company is planning to make smoother power available in the new Legacy range during the next two to three years, product development general manager Musuru Katsurada said.

But the move does not herald a departure from the firm's 33-year loyalty to the horizontally-opposed power unit. 'We have already built prototype boxer engines in the six-cylinder configuration and are very pleased with the way they perform. I am looking to introduce a new premium motor of about 3.0-litre capacity. It will come as the new Legacy reaches its mid-life point,' said Katsurada.