True to form, Subaru has followed up a striking concept with a bland production model having unveiled the all-new Legacy sedan in Chicago. The freshly designed model comes with a 'nosecone' front fascia that marries the grille and bumper into a single piece. A steeply raked windscreen, beefy wheel arches housing 17- or 18-inch alloys, LED tailights and Active Grille Shutter system are other exterior highlights. Despite aping the outgoing model's footprint, the 2015 Legacy has more interior space than any Legacy in its 25-year history.

Passengers have more shoulder, hip, elbow and leg room, there's more trunk space, while rear seats have a 60/40 split to handle extra-large items. Buyers will have two horizontally-opposed 'boxer' units to chose from: a 2.5-liter four-pot rated at 175 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque, and a 3.6-liter six-cylinder unit good for 256 hp and 247 lb-ft of torque. Both come paired with CVTs. Subaru says the four-cylinder returns 26/36 mpg city/highway. A refined version of the Active Torque Split variant of the carmaker's Symmetrical all-wheel-drive system, along with a new quick-ratio electric power-steering system combine to enhance handling.

Inside, the cabin is finished in soft-touch plastics, metallic trim and an infotainment system with a 6.2-inch screen. A small display screen is located in the instrument gauge, while a touchscreen display in the center stack controls the connectivity system including a rear vision camera. New safety features include Subaru's latest EyeSight safety system that now features color stereo cameras with increased range and better recognition capabilities, as well as a new airbag restraint and new rear radar system. Sales of the 2015 Legacy will start this summer.