From Galway Independent

The world’s first horizontally-opposed turbo-diesel engine, with a claim of providing exceptional refinement and smoothness, made its debut this week at the 77th Geneva International Motor Show on the Subaru stand.

Subaru believes passionately in its ‘boxer’ engines, which are more compact than in-line units and provide a much lower centre-of-gravity. This is claimed to reduce body roll for safer cornering and also enhances handling precision such as during a sudden lane-change manoeuvre on a motorway.

Due for its first vehicle application early next year, the Subaru ‘boxer’ turbo-diesel is a highly rigid unit with low levels of noise and vibration. Subaru believe that this not only eliminates the need for a balancer shaft which counters uneven combustion pressures and general roughness, but Subaru’s first diesel is as compact as its petrol sisters and combines unusually strong pulling power at low engine speeds with high-rev throttle-response.

The new diesel engines will enhance the appeal of the Subaru vehicles, especially the Forester and Legacy models on European markets. Expect to see a big interest in these models when diesel power arrives in the range next year.