Subaru SVX in class
with Porsche 911

From page 19

discontinued). This gives the SVX
excellent traction and stability in
wet-weather conditions, and greatly
improves safety. For the record,
most grand touring coupes are rear-
wheel-drive.

Secondly, the SVX is the only
one to offer a water-cooled boxer
engine where tie cylinders are oppo-
site each other rather than in a V-
shape or inline design. ‘The Porsche
911 is the only other coupe with a
boxer engine, but it is air-cooled.
Boxer engines generally have more
torque for the same engine displace-
ment, and have a lower centre of
gravity which improves vehicle
weight distribution. All Subarus
have boxer engines.

The SVX’s 230 horsepower 3.3-
litre six-cylinder engine is very
smooth and has lots of torque
though not as much as a BMW's
inline six or larger V8 engines. The
SVX is quiet at highway speeds, and
the engine is very tractable at
around-town speeds too. Fuel con-
sumption is relatively good for a
performance car: 13.3 litres per 100
kilometres (21 m.p.g.) in the city,
and 8.8 litres per 100 kilometres (32
m.p.g.) on the highway.

The third major difference
between the SVX and other touring
coupes is the SVX’s unusual styling.
Rather than the common long
hood/short rear-deck layout, the
SVX has a cab-forward design with
a prominent greenhouse and body-
work characterized by sharp angles,
particularly around the rear side
window and rear deck area. The
unique “window-within-a-window"
side-window design resembles a jet-
fighter cockpit, but apart from
reducing wind buffeting when the
window is down at high speeds, it
has no useful purpose, and impedes
side vision slightly.

I wouldn't have guessed the SVX
was styled by famous Italian design-

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er, Giorgetto Giugiaro, but it was.

Handling is superb, and unlike
many coupes, the SVX does not sac-
rifice a comfortable ride for good
handling. The only drawback is
steering that lacks road feel. But
overall, this is a car you can live
with all year round, in or out of the
city.

A four-speed automatic transmis-
sion is standard and it’s so smooth
and competent you'll hardly nutice
it’s there. Unfortunately for perfor-
mance-minded drivers, a manual
transmission is not available.

Unlike most 2+2 sport coupes,
the SVX has enough rear legroom
and headroom to transport two pits-
sengers comfortably on short jour-
neys. Rear passengers even have
their own wind-down windows with
power controls, a rarity in coupes.
But for long trips, the SVX is basi-
cally a two-seater.

The SVX also offers a couple of
unique interior features: suede-like
material which covers the lower
dashboard and doors, and a wood-
trim panel which hides the stereo
system from view.

(COLLISION

Our 37th Year

Standard features include: auto-
matic climate contro}, leather uphol-
stery, cight-way power adjustable
driver's seat, dual airbags, tilt/tele-
scope steering wheel, power win-
dows and mirrors, Panasonic 80 watt
sound system with CD player and
six speakers, and 50/50 split fold-
down rear seat to expand the trunk’s
storage capacity,

I found problems with the auto-
matic climate control system and
control placement: the Vent button
tums off the system and allows out-
side air to enter the cabin (but not
heated air), and some of the dash
controls are hidden behind the wiper
and turn signal stalks.

‘The SVX comes with a standard
three- year/60, 000 kilometre warran-
ty and a five-year/100,000 kilometre
powertrain warranty.

Considering that the SVX was
introduced in 1992, its unique
design and drivetrain layout is hold-
ing up well. In addition, the SVX is
a good value in its class. Its base
price of approximately $47,000 is
considerably cheaper than many of
its rivals.

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