Is This the Future of the American Minivan?
By Peter Lyon, Contributor
Date posted: 07-01-2008



One look at the all-new 2008 Subaru Exiga people mover and you'd be forgiven for thinking that it's just a Subaru Outback stretched to fit seven passengers.

Sure, this conservative wagonlike people pod does borrow heavily from the Forester, Impreza and Legacy as well as the Outback, its siblings in the Subaru lineup, but the roots of the Exiga go much deeper than this.

In fact, the 2008 Subaru Exiga GT is probably perfect for our troubled times, because it's really related to a previous time when all of us were also reeling from oil shocks.

A Lesson From Lancia
Long before minivan heavyweights like the Chrysler Voyager and Renault Espace arrived on the scene to revolutionize transportation, there was the Lancia Megagamma, penned by Italdesign under the leadership of the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro. That's right, one of the world's most famous stylists has always been a revolutionary thinker about vehicle packaging, and even 30 years ago he proposed a minivan (then a radical concept) fitted with its very own horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine.

But since Lancia's five-seater prototype never made it out of the concept stage, the 2008 Subaru Exiga GT becomes the first minivan-style vehicle with a horizontally opposed engine, a direct link to Giugiaro's vision.

Giugiaro had the right idea. And now that the Exiga is here, the timing might be right, if not several years late. Subaru should have built this years ago. Hey, with such a huge parts bin to choose from, how could you go wrong?

Function, Not Style
A fused, Japanesespeak hodgepodge of "exciting" and "active," the Exiga is slightly wider, longer and taller than the Outback. The extra 4.5 inches it picks up in height over the Outback ensures that third-row passengers get plenty of headroom. We're 6-foot-2 and we can sit in the back — just. "To tell the truth," says Chief Engineer Hiroya Okumo, "We really wanted to slope the D-pillar and rear roof line forward more, giving it more angle and more style. But to do that would have meant sacrificing rear-seat headroom."

Meanwhile a 3-inch-longer wheelbase than the Outback also aided in maximizing rear seat legroom, even though the Exiga is only a half inch longer overall than the Legacy-based wagon.

But Sr. Guigiaro, where were you when they needed your penmanship? Given that the Megagamma and Exiga are so closely linked in essence, surely one phone call wouldn't have gone astray. Having botched several recent exterior designs big time, Subaru decided to play it safe with the Exiga. Its only redeeming styling features are its wing-inspired grille, large sunroof and the very impressive windows of the rear doors that boast superb visibility.

Otherwise the Exiga looks like a half-hearted minivan, a tall wagon from years ago. A marvel of design it is not. It fits in kind of the same slice of the market where the forthcoming Toyota Venza is supposed to reside.

Jigsaw Puzzle
Nevertheless, the 2008 Subaru Exiga is a superbly put-together jigsaw puzzle of the very best technology that Subaru has to offer. For such a small manufacturer, Subaru must have one of the most sophisticated and useful parts bins in the business. So there is virtually no way that Subaru could stuff this one up.

Forward of the B-pillar, the Exiga begins with the front-end section of the Forester's platform, but the rear section is all-new, a necessity given the need to accommodate a third row of seats. The double-wishbone rear suspension has been borrowed from the Impreza, while the springs, dampers and bushings have been specially tuned to reduce vibration and noise levels while improving ride quality.

Also inherited from the Forester is the Exiga's turbocharged 2.0-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine, although it gets its own dedicated turbo to deliver beefier bottom-end torque. And what of the Legacy? It has donated its five-speed automatic transmission with SI-Drive plus its brake package, as well as general front-end styling.

The Right Kind of Engine
On paper at least, the Exiga comes across as a formidable seven-seat device able to carry out some pretty serious moves. So while we were left yawning at the sheet metal, one press of the dedicated starter button was enough to get the juices flowing again.

As the 2.0-liter boxer turbo sprang to life with that typical unsure metallic shuffle, we selected "D" mode and headed for the open road. Generating 223 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 240 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm, the Exiga is no slouch.

The Exiga might weigh some 310 pounds more than the 2.5-liter Outback, but thanks to its revised turbo and shorter gearing across all five ratios, this Subaru gets the power down superbly, delivering more than 90 percent of its torque at just 2,000 rpm.

While the power stays on tap up until 5,000 rpm, Subaru tells us that high performance was not a prerequisite for this car. It just kind of came with the package. Just because it's a family car doesn't mean it has to be boring.

Comfortably Heavy
Subaru's all-wheel-drive hardware also makes the Exiga unique among similar people movers. Under everyday driving, Subaru's system sends 45 percent of the torque to the front wheels and 55 percent to the rear wheels, and then only brings the ratio back to 50/50 when front traction is compromised. And you'd have to be doing something silly to manage that because the Exiga's traction levels seem so very high.

As with the Japan-specification Legacy and Impreza, SI-Drive allows you to choose among three modes of torque-management strategy, only this time, a kind of kick-down function has been employed. Even in economical "I" (Intelligent) mode, a quick extension of the right boot will see the explosive "S#" sport sharp mode automatically engaged, allowing you to instantly overtake the car ahead. Then, just lift off on the throttle and "I" mode reengages, taking you back to economical cruising. Up until now, you had to flick the SI-Drive switch manually.

When the road gets interesting, the 2008 Subaru Exiga corners flatter and with less body roll than any other rival. Ride quality and comfort levels are also in the class-leading category. The combination of a very rigid chassis and a low center of gravity play a role here. Meanwhile the Legacy's brake system seems to be more than up to the task of controlling the speed of this relatively heavy, 3,498-pound package, assisted by 17-inch Yokohama Advan tires.

Think Theater, Not Metrolink Bus
While the Exiga's interior trim and quality are satisfactory, there's not much flash to the presentation. The highlight inside the cabin is no doubt the theater-style staggered seating arrangement in which second-row seats are 2.7 inches higher than the front row, with the third row the same again.

Okumo tells us, "The team has worked hard to give this minivan an open-air feel." For evidence, he points out the lengthy sunroof. One-touch switches for the second- and third-row seats allow you to drop the seatbacks, creating a fully flat luggage space big enough for a double bed.

In common with other Subarus, the Exiga's V-shaped center console dominates the dash, with all controls and switches laid out so they're easily reachable. Of note are the revised air-conditioning vents on the dash, which push air directly at the headliner in order to direct sufficient cooling air to the passengers back in the third row.

Cool air is not the only thing that reaches the rear seats. Attention to sound-absorbing materials means that conversations carry throughout the cabin without the need to raise one's voice.

A Good Idea for America?
So far, the 2008 Subaru Exiga GT is only slated for sales in Japan, and one Subaru staffer speculated that it would be too small for the U.S. market. Yet given the fact that the American vehicle market is downsizing in record numbers, there surely seems to be a market for fuel-efficient, multiseat minivans, something a little larger than a Mazda5 yet a little smaller than a Dodge Grand Caravan. Since short-wheelbase versions of conventional minivans like the Caravan no longer exist, there seems to be an opportunity for vehicles like the Exiga.

At a price of about $27,000, the Subaru Exiga represents a superb minivan. It's just a shame that the designers played so safe with its exterior. Too safe, we feel. A letter to Sr. Giugiaro would have done wonders for the Exiga's exterior. As the man who penned the original Lancia Megagamma in 1978, he knows what this whole minivan thing is all about.