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It's been a long time coming, but Subaru has launched its horizontally opposed (or "boxer") diesel engine. That's the good news. The bad news is that it's intended mainly for the compression-ignition crazy European market, and it's unlikely to land in New Zealand until next year.
The 2.0-litre powerplant, now available on the Legacy and Outback models in Europe, is Subaru's first diesel in more than 40 years of boxer engine manufacturing.
It has been launched initially in wagon variants only, although sedans are expected to follow. The new Forester is next in line, followed by the smaller Impreza hatchback.
For New Zealand, it's unlikely the boxer diesel engine will be available until the all-new Legacy/Outback is launched next year.
Subaru claims the 110kW diesel has the best fuel efficiency in the all-wheel-drive passenger-car class, as well as beating front-drive rivals, such as the Volkswagen Passat TDI and Ford Mondeo TD.
Claimed performance is strong - 0-96km/h in 8.5 seconds for the Legacy and 8.8 seconds for the Outback, which is heavier.
Refinement is improved via liquid engine mounts and extra body sound-proofing. The five-speed manual gearbox has higher ratios to suit the diesel's stronger torque and lower engine speed.
The power-steering is electric to improve fuel economy. Front spring rates have also been tuned to suit the diesel engine and new steering system.
The boxer diesel's front brakes have also been uprated and the gear-lever length reduced by 10mm for a sportier, shorter throw.
Expect an automatic-transmission option to be available by the time the engine is launched in a New Zealand-market model.
