SUBARU INTRODUCES BAJA™ TURBO AT NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW

Subaru of America, Inc., the only manufacturer to have all-wheel drive as standard equipment on every vehicle they make, today introduced the Baja Turbo at the New York International Auto Show. Baja Turbo is the third version of the brand’s unique crossover vehicle that blends the versatility and ruggedness of a compact 4-door pickup truck with the driving dynamics, safety and comfort of a passenger car. Powered by a 210-horsepower 2.5-liter intercooled turbo boxer engine, Baja Turbo gives new definition to "sport plus utility," adding an element of driving fun absent in compact truck-based vehicles.

Baja Turbo is the third new turbocharged model that Subaru has introduced for 2004 MY: Forester 2.5 XT was introduced at the Chicago Auto Show, and the 300-horsepower Impreza WRX STi at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. These three models, along with the Impreza WRX, underscore the brand’s high-performance product strategy that’s reinforced by more than a decade of rally-winning experience. All turbocharged Subaru models feature a functional hood scoop that feeds outside air to an engine-mounted intercooler.

The Baja models follow in the pioneering tire tracks of the Subaru Outback, the World’s First Sport-Utility Wagon®. Outback sparked the trend in crossover vehicles that combine positive attributes of a sport-utility vehicle with the handling, ride comfort and fuel efficiency of a passenger car.

The Baja models deliver many of the practical benefits of a 4-door compact pickup truck, but with the kind of responsive handling and ride comfort that eludes truck-based vehicles. The practical size makes Baja easy to maneuver, while still offering cargo-carrying versatility not possible in a sedan or wagon. Baja models share a family resemblance with Outback, including enlarged front fenders, four-beam multi-reflector headlights (two-beam on Baja Sport), large foldable mirrors and integrated foglights with stone guards. In addition to the functional hood scoop, Baja Turbo is distinguished by new-design 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels.