It's a simple question, but one that Subaru found most focus group consumers couldn't answer: where do Subarus come from?
Not, as in where are the assembly plants located, but just what country does the company known for its all-wheel-drive, all-the-time vehicles call home?
Sweden, some thought, perhaps because of this all-weather capability. Australia was another popular guess, no doubt thanks to Paul Hogan and the ads he did for the Outback, which accounts for a third of all Subaru sales in Canada.
"Most people don't even know that Subaru is a Japanese vehicle," said Anton Pawcuk, Subaru of Canada's product planning manager.
Subaru is aiming to highlight this background, because officials believe there are associations with quality, reliability and fuel efficiency that come with the Japanese label. But really, they'd be happy to be known for being from Never-Never Land, if it got them on more shopping short lists.
Their main weapon in this battle are newer and more mainstream products that stick to the firm's core beliefs in full-time all-wheel-drive, as well as the less appreciated horizontally opposed engines.
In short, less kooky (hello, Baja pickup-sedan) and more cookie-cutter, but not to vanilla extremes. The sales increases for Subaru in the last two years while the industry as a whole was down suggests that Subaru is finally starting to emerge from its "niche" status purgatory, with the majority of this growth coming from the recently redesigned Forester compact SUV and Impreza models.
Across North America, Subaru was the only company whose sales were up last year, reinforcing the brand's commitment taken this decade to design cars not for North American all-wheel-drive fans, but North Americans in general.
Intent on getting the word out on its latest all-new products, Subaru sent 16 Canadian auto writers from across the country to North America's most easterly point - literally, we drove by Cape Spear, Newfoundland - to sample the all-new 2010 Legacy sedan.
The new Legacy sedan is a more aggressive-looking design, with pronounced fender flares and hood bulges that also help muscle up the look. But that's aggressive in a button-down, don't-offend-the-neighbourhood-watch crowd. Perhaps even more importantly for Subaru, it now looks as large as the top-selling mid-size models.
The Legacy gets a larger body in height and width for this new fifth-generation version, which provides more interior room than the Camry or Nissan's Altima, but doesn't make it to U.S. EPA full-size car status, as do the Honda Accord and some others.
Still, the Legacy offers ample front and three-across rear-seat room, helped by carving out of the front seatbacks. Unless your passengers have their own shoe deal, they'll be happy for all the room available back there.
And the Legacy uses this size well, too. Subaru officials admitted that the Legacy's 415-litre trunk capacity is smaller than the Camry's 425, but wheeled one out to compare it more closely.
The Legacy's trunk had a wider opening, struts instead of the Camry's hinges that could potentially crunch fragile cargo in a full trunk and, perhaps most usefully, a wider pass-through to the rear seat area once the rear seats were folded down.
With presentations done, we headed to the picturesque roads of St. John's and environs to put rubber to sea-salt-encrusted asphalt. It's clear the Legacy has the practicality ammo to get in the fight with the big boys in this class now, but how does it drive?
This is where the Legacy steps away from the mid-size mainstream, by offering three engines instead of the usual four-cylinder and V-6 offerings of its rivals (not counting hybrid versions, which Subaru doesn't offer).
We started off our drive in the six-cylinder Legacy 3.6R, which has a larger 3.6-litre horizontally opposed engine, making 258 hp and 247 ft-lb of torque.
With a starting price of $31,895, it is undoubtedly the most impressive engine offering of the lot on the road, even if it is the thirstiest. On the other hand, it takes regular fuel, unlike the turbocharged 2.5-litre engine that's only slightly more powerful - and that's if you rev it to the moon.
In everyday driving, the 3.6R's greater torque down low makes it feel like the refined beast of the lineup, powering us up the continuously undulating roadways without complaint, although its five-speed automatic is a gear less than the notably more fuel-efficient Camry V6.
After a princely lunch in the quaint little town of Brigus that included local delicacies such as cod tongue, the majority of our afternoon was spent in a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder Legacy equipped with a new continuously variable transmission, which will likely be the most common drivetrain pairing.
The CVT helps to improve fuel economy that's hurt by the relatively large four-cylinder engine size, as well as the standard symmetrical all-wheel-drive that's a trademark of Subarus in North America, although there are some FWD Subes sold in Japan.
In overall operation, the CVT was relatively invisible, although the hilly roads often kept the engine revving higher than one would expect, making for occasionally unnatural sounds - keep the stereo on, and it's much tougher to notice.
Like the five-speed auto, it also came with shift paddles, where six pre-programmed ratios allow a little more driver control over engine speed, but loses the ability to tip the floor-mounted shift lever up and down for such "shifts."
Subaru folk like to say the CVT provides the fuel economy of a regular FWD mid-size car, with the inherent safety and handling advantages of power going to both axles all the time.
The fuel economy numbers support this, with the CVT giving the Legacy ratings of 9.2 litres/100 km city and 6.2 highway; both figures are lower than both Camry and Ford's Fusion AWD, which only comes with the 3.0-litre V6.
Yet what they don't mention is that this advanced transmission, AWD, and even PZEV equipment on the PZEV four-cylinder model has brought about some noticeable cost cuts in other areas, such as a wagon version of the Legacy, power windows without an express-down function for anyone but the driver and the five-speed auto.
It stills feels like a refined and substantial vehicle, with a confidence-inspiring "thunk" when closing the door thanks to framed windows (finally).
But when various 20-grand cars offer a keyless go system that unlocks the door and lets you pull away with the key fob still in your pocket or purse, it makes you wonder where such items are on your top-line Legacy GT, which starts at $38,395.
Speaking of price, this is where Subaru makes the biggest push to go mainstream: by lowering the Legacy's price by thousands of dollars through all trim levels, and specifically by $3,000 on the base Legacy, which now starts at $23,995.
The 265-hp Legacy GT's starting price sounds incredibly high, and it is, likely because it's only going to be available fully loaded with a navi system and a six-speed manual, which almost guarantees that the 2.5-litre turbocharged four will be sold in very low volumes.
When the 2010 Subaru Legacy arrives in dealers across the country by mid-August, it deserves the consideration of any mid-size sedan buyer, whether they hanker for all-wheel drive or not.
2010 SUBARU LEGACY 3.6R
Type: Mid-size family sedan
Base price: $23,995, as tested $31,585
Engine: 3.6-litre, boxer six, DOHC
Horsepower/torque:
256 hp/247 lb-ft
Transmission: Five-speed automatic
Drive: Full-time, symmetrical all-wheel drive
Fuel economy (litres/100 km):
11.8 city/8.2 highway; regular
Alternatives: Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion AWD, Mazda6
Like
Healthy stoplight grunt at low rpm for six-cylinder; super-clean PZEV four-cylinder available
Larger rear doors frame a roomy rear seat that will make mounting a baby seat easy
Prices lower than last year's models
The six uses regular fuel
Don't like
The priciest GT model's turbocharged four feels less powerful than the six
With Legacy going more mainstream, it loses some of its quirky charm
CVT saves fuel, but still occasionally sounds unnatural
Evidence of cost-cutting
