Dreams not made of this

Press, 17 July 1980, Page 11

Dreams not made of this

By

JOHN FRIDD

motoring editor

“A dream come true.*’ That is how the Subaru public relations people see the 1980 Subaru range. However, it is 'doubtful whether the New Zealand car-buying public will find the range significantly better from anything already on the market.

The 1600 cu cm Leone GLF sedan has been on the market for some time, hut I’ve only just managed to get my hands on one for a full road test. The Leone struck me as being something a little different, with its distinctive styling and unusual features — a rare thing these days, a Japanese car with a bit of character.

A transversely mounted 1595 flat-four motor powers the Leone, driving its front wheels (in some countries the same fourdoor body is available with four-wheel-drive).

•Subaru was one of the Japanese pioneers of front-wheel-drive, so has had plenty of time to exploit its usefulness in gaining interior space, and the Leone is a full fourseater.

The unusual aluminium motor takes up so little space under the bonnet that there is room for the spare wheel and jack,

which leaves more room for luggage in the boot. Frameless doors make for a larger glass area, thus better visibility. Behind the wheel, the Leone is refreshingly different from the average Japanese car. It has a distinctive dash treatment, including a silhouette carplan which tells the driver when a door is open,-the lights are on full beam, the choke is out, the handbrake is on, brakefluid level is low or a rear stop-light is faulty.

An accurate quartz clock and push-button radio are standard equipment on the car.

Large, round knobs, handily placed, operate the wiper-washer system and lights and the heating system is excellent once its intricacies are mastered. If the car enters a fume’ filled tunnel, a simple push of a button shuts off the fresh-air intake. The front seats seem a little hard at first, but I found them comfortable on a journey, although short drivers may find them a little too low. The Leone has adequate although not startling acceleration, and the flatfour motor gets quite

throbby when asked to perform. The noise is quite sporty, but might not appeal to more conservative drivers.

However, the car is quiet under most motoring conditions, with just a hint of wind-noise from the frameless doors at 80km/h, although this increases steadily at higher speeds. The Leone has .. "r-and-pinion steering and this is quite accurate and responsive in normal motoring, but becomes “dead” when the car is extended. On sealed . roads scrubby understeer (when the front tyres lose their grip) marks the limit of its handling and I was a little disappointed at its handling limit. In addition, mid-corner bumps tend to make the front tyres suddenly lose their grip totally, making the front of the car suddenly skitter sideways, which might upset some drivers. On loose, gravel surfaces the Leone is surprisingly well-behaved for a front-wheel-drive car — here it is stable and its handling predictable. The brakes are excellent. In general, the Leone’s ride is good — better than that of many Japanese cars on the bumpy roads which are all too common in this country. The Leone has a five-forward-speed gearbox and fifth gear provides quiet open-road cruising, although the motor is not over-endowed with lowdown torque and the gearchange is a little sluggish by Japanese standards. In the rear, the Leone

provides adequate leg and head-room for an averagesized adult even behind the driver’s seat and childsafety locks are standard equipment. . The boot ii sensibly shaped and swallowed up my two large test-cases plus a number of. other small items — good for this class of car. A boot light is provided. Under the bonnet, the engine’s spark-plugs and distributor are fairly readily accessible.

The Leone’s attractive body is protected by a wide side rubbing-strip. I didn’t manage to include a fuel-consumption check in my Leone test but from other reports it seems that 7.05 litres per 100 km (40 m.p.g.) would not be an unobtainable figure on a leisurely trip, and most drivers should get over 9.41 l/100km in general running, good for a 1600 cu cm car. Over-all the Subaru Leone is an interesting addition to the New Zealand scene. It could appeal to the person wanting sometiling a little different, and would make an admirable family car, with its generous accommodation for both people and luggage. Stacked against its high specification and good ride are its handling limits and “throbby" motor. The Leone costs $10,895. Its 1600 cu cm rivals include the classier Honda Accord four-door, at $11,434, the 1.6 Lancer EX five-speed at $10,395, the Ford Cortina 1.6 at $9690 and the Toyota Corona XR at $9BOO.

(Test car from New Zealand Motor Holdings).