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Subaru Outback and Legacy go butch and grow eyes (photos)

The freshened Subaru Outback and Legacy made their debuts at the 2012 New York International Auto Show, with meaty new front ends and a camera-based system that sees pedestrians and other cars.

Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
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2013 Subaru Outback

For its 2013 refresh, Subaru toughened up the look of its Outback model by making the grille more upright, a move that may not sit well with Subaru's progressive fan base. Other changes for 2013 include chassis and engine tuning, plus new cabin electronics that include a driver assistance system.
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2013 Subaru Outback

The rear styling of the Outback remains unchanged, and the engines available are still a 2.5-liter flat four-cylinder and a 3.6-liter flat six. The four-cylinder gained new tuning, pushing the horsepower up by 3, to 173. The four-cylinder can be had with a six-speed manual or continuously variable transmission; the six-cylinder comes with a five-speed automatic.
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2013 Subaru Outback

As before, all-wheel drive is standard on the Outback. Subaru says it has improved the chassis tuning for a more comfortable ride and better handling. And despite the slightly more powerful four-cylinder engine, the car still earns its Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle rating from the California Air Resources Board.
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2013 Subaru Outback

The back of the Outback holds 34.3 cubic feet of cargo. Fold the rear seats down, and that space increases to 71.3 cubic feet.
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2013 Subaru Outback

Subaru improves on the Outback's cabin tech, which consisted of navigation, hands-free phone, and a stereo with some digital music sources, by adding Aha app integration. Aha will let drivers listen to tweets and Facebook updates, along with podcasts and a variety of other online information.
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2013 Subaru Outback

The major cabin tech addition is a set of cameras, placed on either side of the rearview mirror, looking forward. These cameras can recognize pedestrians, other cars, and lane lines, enabling a number of driver assistance features. Subaru calls this system Eyesight.
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2013 Subaru Outback

The Eyesight camera system includes lane-departure warning, collision warning and mitigation, and adaptive cruise control. With a steering-wheel button, drivers can set their following distance from cars ahead.
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2013 Subaru Legacy

Subaru gave its Legacy a very similar update as the Outback, not surprising as the cars share a platform. It also retains much of its styling, but gets a more aggressive front end.
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2013 Subaru Legacy

The Legacy is Subaru's largest sedan. Like the Outback, it comes with either a 2.5-liter flat four- or 3.6-liter flat six-cylinder engine. The transmission options are the same as with the Outback.
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2013 Subaru Legacy

The Legacy still comes standard with all-wheel drive, although the center differential varies on what type of transmission is present.
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2013 Subaru Legacy

In high trim with the six-cylinder engine, the Legacy begins to look like a luxury car. Comfortable leather seats feature heating and power adjustment, and wood trim decorates the cabin.
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12 of 12 Sarah Tew/CNET

2013 Subaru Legacy

The new Legacy will offer the same cabin tech features as the Outback, including the Eyesight driver assistance system. Both cars will become available in fall 2012.

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