Subaru’s reputation and popularity has been built on the backs of conservative wagons, from the DL/GL/Leone wagons of the 1970s to the Foresters of today. Long before the Impreza WR-X debuted, that was pretty much all Subaru made: conservative wagons, with conservative sedan counterparts and the occasional conservative hatchback. And then, like a spaceship, the Subaru XT (aka Vortex and Alcyone) landed in Subaru showrooms.
The XT immediately challenged consumers’ perceptions on just what a Subaru was while simultaneously offering Subaru’s signature feature: four-wheel-drive. Subaru’s forward-thinking embrace of four-wheel-drive technology was in full swing by the time of the XT’s launch so, because of this and the XT’s Leone underpinnings, four-wheel-drive was optional. At launch, this was a part-time, push-button system activated by a button atop the pistol-grip shifter.
Unlike the Leone, the XT’s styling was utterly dramatic. Subaru claimed a drag coefficient of 0.29 and there were plenty of visible exterior touches that contributed to this, like flush “aircraft-style” door handles and a single-blade front wiper. Even though almost every Japanese automaker had a coupe with a sloping front end and pop-up headlights, the XT looked like nothing else. You either loved it or you hated it but, either way, you noticed it and that’s exactly what Subaru wanted.
The interior was as extroverted as the exterior. Beyond the slick, pistol-grip shifter, there was some lurid upholstery (toned down in later years) and steering column-mounted “pod” controls. On the left-hand side of the steering wheel were the controls for the wiper, washer and ventilation while on the right were switches for the lights and the rear demister. This set-up certainly took some getting used to but it was distinctive.
Even more novel was the digital instrumentation available in turbocharged models. Although often hard to see in the daytime, this “artificial horizon”, orange-backlit, liquid crystal display was probably the wildest digital instrumentation of the 1980s.
Though the XT shared much with the Leone range, including the same 97-inch wheelbase and track, there were some mechanical changes. The strut-front/semi trailing arm-rear suspension had a electro-pneumatic self-levelling system that adjusted by up to 1.2 inches at the front and 1.4 inches at the rear. Four-wheel disc brakes were also standard. The XT was also available with electro-hydraulic steering which used an electronically-controlled pump to provide the hydraulic pressure for the steering’s power assistance.
Initially, there were two engines offered, both fuel-injected, single overhead-cam units borrowed from the Leone range. Entry-level models came with a naturally-aspirated 1.8 flat-four with 94 hp and 101 ft-lbs. There was also a turbocharged version with 110 hp and 134 ft-lbs. The base engine’s power and torque figures were fairly competitive with rival coupes but the turbocharged model disappointed those who expected racy performance to match the wild looks and the turbo decals.
The turbo helped smooth out some of the harsh sounds coming from Subaru’s flat four, which could get rather noisy. Lag was relatively minimal, fortunately, considering how little the turbocharger actually added in power. Alas, the optional four-wheel-drive system added a bit of weight. Turbocharged 4WD XTs hit the scales at 2678 pounds, around 220 lbs heavier than a Celica or Prelude.
The Australian market saw Subaru’s new coupe use the Vortex name, exactly the kind of righteous nameplate a, like, totally radical 80s design like this deserved. Really, “XT”, Subaru North America? Ugh, gag me with a spoon.
Aussie journalists weren’t exactly endeared to this tubular new coupe, however. Leading magazine Wheels tested the 4WD Turbo and had this to say:
“Fun’s something the Subaru isn’t… It handles and corners well enough in a mildly understeer-y way that’s absolutely predictable and unemotionally dour.”
That seemed to be a common refrain, regardless of a review’s country of origin. Perhaps Subaru overcompensated. Just look at the competition. The first front-wheel-drive Celica was a huge improvement over its predecessor and a game-changer. The Prelude, even in Si guise, was left wanting in terms of power but its slick dynamics still made it a highly desirable choice. In a 1988 comparison, Wheels placed the 4WD Turbo 4th in a four-car comparison test, ranking it below the Celica, Prelude and Mazda MX-6. The reviewers argued it simply didn’t do anything brilliantly but for its dirt road handling where it “[revelled] in being driven with tail-sliding èlan”. Alas, the Subaru just didn’t feel sporty, from its propensity towards understeer to its overly light steering.
At least the XT had a superb short-throw shifter and generally quite comfortable ride quality. Though the 4WD system didn’t eliminate understeer, it removed torque steer and improved grip.
Competition in this part of the market was brutal. Let’s take a look at the US market in 1987, for example.
| Model | Base MSRP with manual | Power | Torque |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subaru XT DL | $9,593 | 94 hp at 5200 rpm | 101 ft-lbs at 2800 rpm |
| Dodge Daytona | $9,013 | 100 hp at 4800 rpm | 136 ft-lbs at 2800 rpm |
| Honda Prelude 1.8 | $11,995 | 100 hp at 5500 rpm | 107 ft-lbs at 4000 rpm |
| Isuzu Impulse | $12,059 | 90 hp at 5000 rpm | 108 ft-lbs at 3000 rpm |
| Nissan 200SX XE (notchback) | $10,849 | 102 hp at 5200 rpm | 116 ft-lbs at 3200 rpm |
| Pontiac Fiero | $8,299 | 98 hp at 4800 rpm | 135 ft-lbs at 3200 rpm |
| Toyota Celica ST | $10,598 | 115 hp at 5200 rpm | 124 ft-lbs at 4400 rpm |
The field of talent was even more impressive when you looked at up-level variants of sport coupes, typically featuring turbocharged four-cylinder engines like the XT GL-10 Turbo. At this price point, there were also larger coupes available like the Chrysler Conquest and Mazda RX-7.
| Model | Base MSRP | Power | Torque |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subaru XT GL-10 Turbo | $14,573 | 110 hp at 4800 rpm | 134 ft-lbs at 2800 rpm |
| Subaru XT GL-10 Turbo 4WD | $15,648 | 110 hp at 4800 rpm | 134 ft-lbs at 2800 rpm |
| Chrysler Conquest | $14,417 | 145 hp at 5000 rpm | 185 ft-lbs at 2200 rpm |
| Dodge Daytona Turbo Z | $11,301 | 146 hp at 5200 rpm | 170 ft-lbs at 3600 rpm |
| Honda Prelude 2.0 Si | $14,945 | 110 hp at 5500 rpm | 114 ft-lbs at 4500 rpm |
| Isuzu Impulse Turbo | $14,439 | 140 hp at 5400 rpm | 166 ft-lbs at 3000 rpm |
| Mazda RX-7 | $14,199 | 146 hp at 6500 rpm | 138 ft-lbs at 3500 rpm |
| Mitsubishi Starion | $15,469 | 145 hp at 5000 rpm | 185 ft-lbs at 2200 rpm |
| Nissan 200SX SE V6 | $14,499 | 160 hp at 5200 rpm | 174 ft-lbs at 4000 rpm |
| Pontiac Fiero GT | $13,489 | 135 hp at 4400 rpm | 165 ft-lbs at 3600 rpm |
| Toyota Celica GT-S | $13,978 | 135 hp at 6000 rpm | 125 ft-lbs at 4800 rpm |
That’s some tough competition, and that’s excluding similarly-priced but less showy quasi-rivals like the Acura Integra and Mazda 626 turbo coupe and cheaper domestic fare like the Buick Skyhawk turbo. And though they were unlikely to be cross-shopped, the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird – even in range-topping trim with V8s under their hoods – undercut the most expensive of XTs. If the Celica didn’t appeal to you, Toyota also had the rear-wheel-drive Corolla Sport and mid-engine MR-2. And arguably these weren’t even the glory days of affordable coupes yet, that era arriving a few years later in the 1990s. Even in turbo guise, the XT wasn’t especially powerful while many rivals were more fun-to-drive. In markets like the UK where an Audi Coupe Quattro was only a couple thousand pounds more expensive, it was game over for the Subaru.
Subaru responded to cries for more power by introducing the XT6 in 1988. This used Subaru’s first six-cylinder engine, making the XT6 the first Subaru to exceed Japanese government engine displacement regulations and therefore be classified as a luxury car. The 2.7 flat-six was a direct extension of the regular XT four, with identical bore and stroke measurements but a 50% increase in displacement. The power peak was reached at the same 5200 rpm but horsepower was up to 145 hp and 156 ft-lbs. The XT6 was available in both FWD and 4WD, although Japanese buyers could only get the 4WD (as the Alcyone VX). Aussie buyers got neither – sadly, XT sales had proved so disappointing in Australia that despite promising to import the XT6, Subaru Australia just let the whole line quietly die.
The XT6 had numerous suspension tweaks and used Subaru’s first four-speed automatic, though a five-speed manual remained standard. The XT6 also heralded the introduction of anti-lock brakes and full-time four-wheel-drive to the XT line, though four-cylinder models kept the selectable part-time system. In the US market, the XT6 replaced the XT Turbo entirely, though the turbo lived on in other markets with the new 4WD system. The XT6 had more power, sounded better, and had a more sophisticated 4WD system. It was heavier still, however, and recorded 0-60 times don’t seem markedly better than the four-bangers – around 9 seconds, compared to just over 10 for the Turbo 4WD and over 12 for the naturally-aspirated model. European critics were able to get similar times from the new permanent 4WD Turbo model as their American counterparts could from the XT6 4WD, which was a bit disappointing considering the gulf in power and torque. Even the extra power didn’t earn the XT6 plaudits from the automotive press. Motorweek, for example, said they appreciated the extra power but it didn’t turn the Subaru into a sports car.
The Subaru may have had 4WD as a unique selling point in its segment – at least for a few years – but it wasn’t the most exciting car to drive and its fashion forward styling quickly became passé. Sales were disappointing, too. Besides being a flop in Australia, only 8,170 of the 98,918 XTs produced between 1985 and 1991 were sold in Japan.
Think of the XT as a Leone in a sharper suit and it impresses, even if its styling was flash-in-the-pan. Alas, as a holistic sports coupe experience, the Subaru simply wasn’t as satisfying as the front-wheel-drive Celica or Prelude. But did they look this radical?
Related Reading:
Curbside Classic: 1992-97 Subaru SVX – A Tasty Surprise
Curbside Classic: 1983-1987 Honda Prelude – New Priorities
Curbside Classic: 1988 Toyota Celica GT – Oh What A Feeling!
I’d forgotten about these untill I saw one recently with Vortex badging so must have been NZ new, the electronic height adjustable suspension was lifted directly from the top of the range Leone, Looked at buying one that was ex JDM but it was so gutless it wasnt worth owning maybe it had a bad turbo who knows, I was looking for a project but for the money being asked it should have been a good runner the suspension had the fuses pulled too do who knows what gremlins were in that, The Legacy arrived on the scene in 88/9 and stole the show in popularity and rally ability and these faded into obscurity.
The XT seemed, to me, to be something that Subaru stylists who had been smitten by the old Triumph TR7 wedge came up with. It was a precursor to the rather more advanced (and more expensive) not-quite-as-wedge-y SVX that would follow. Both had polarizing styling, but at least the SVX was more cohesive, even with its aircraft-inspired windows.
Subaru really seemed to be trying hard to get into the sporty coupe market with something distinctive that would set itself apart from the rest of the crowd. On that level, they succeeded. But lackluster performance for their respective price classes, even with standard AWD, and radical styling, doomed the cars to unimpressive sales numbers. Neither the XT nor the SVX ever really caught on. While I have no doubt both have their devotees, I was never one of them.
The SVX was a Guigiaro design but the XT probably wasn’t.
The fictional Tartan Prancer from “Vacation 2015” borrowed this steering wheel design.
I liked Vacation more than I thought I would (I’m not really a fan of Ed Helms). And the Prancer had its moments but it wasn’t my favourite fictional Eastern European car…
I can’t think of a car that I loathed more when new but am completely enthralled by now. It’s such a cliche of the 1980s sports coupe era that it’s really quite amusing, regardless of any merit (or absence thereof).
When thinking about XTs, I always recall the dad of a friend of mine, who worked at a Subaru dealer in the 1980s. He called these “the ultimate secretary’s car” and said he sold quite a few of them, and the buyers were all women about 28 years old. His experience probably wasn’t an outlier.
But one thing that reading about the XT this morning got me thinking about is just what is Subaru’s image today? Certainly it’s complex. The brand seems to have gotten away from the crunchy nonconformist stereotype, but… to what exactly? Subaru has had no shortage of sports cars (BRZ, WRX, etc.), yet somehow I suspect that most people view Subarus about as blandly as a 1985 Oldsmobile, only with 4wd. Is the typical Subaru viewed as a car for young parents and people who are afraid to drive in the snow? Maybe I’m biased because my parents (both around age 80) both drive Subarus. As does my sister. But I’m curious just what the brand’s overall image is now.
Regardless, I loved looking at pictures of this XT. I haven’t seen one in ages.
For those of us over 45, we can recall, easily, when Subaru was a “weird car”.
Kind of like a Japanese Citroen…not as weird, and better built (eventually).
In the 70s, and even 80s, they were typically among the worst looking cars. Even the XT, IMO, looks lousy. The 4wd wagon in the late 70s was cool because it had 4wd. As a 13 yr old, I barely fit in the back of my friend’s mom’s car. The Brat was a neat idea. But I’d say they were weird cars. My friend in the mid 80s had a 76 Subaru DL..cramped and weird.
And today, Subaru has become what Honda was in the late 70s/early 80s
+1 As a kid, I never thought of Subaru’s product line in the 70s as conventional. ‘Weird’ is a good word to describe their design and packaging at the time.
As I was not well-versed in things Citroen at the time, I always thought of the Subaru as the Japanese SAAB. Both made unusual powertrain and body design choices and were the darlings of crunchy granola types in northern New England and the PNW.
One of the last cars you could actually see out of!
I think this may be my favorite from the sharply creased wedgie school of design. I did not pay much attention to them when new, remembering my impression that they were underpowered and undistinguished drivers. But if you needed 4WD it was the place to be.
And adding the turbo and 4WD made these *really* expensive. My 1985 Golf GTI had a sticker in the 12s, and that was with air, sunroof and the good stereo.
And, like, I totally get your issue with the name for the US market. If ever a car cried out for a name like Cosmic Galleria, this was it.
By adding one letter, C for coupe, to the XT, Subaru could have sold you XTC instead.
I guess it was to avoid false advertising….
Subaru: We’re Making Plans For Nigel.
Dear God.
I’d Like That
Looking at those car prices…brings back memories.
1987 was a great time to be a first-time new car shopper!
There were lots of ‘fun cars’. I had started driving in the early 80s on 70s malaise mobiles, but was too young to have first hand experience with Opels, Capris, Celicas or 510s.
My favorite cars in the group, the 2nd gen Preludes were pretty pricey back in the day. $12k for a Prelude, and $15k for the super Prelude Si, ouch! And no factory A/C either.
I really liked the Prelude, but its high price ruled it out. However, even if the Prelude would have been $9,995, it was a smallish car; the VW Golf and Jetta were a lot roomier, drove as well or better (GTI/GLI), and cost a lot less; and they were fuel injected. A Mustang V8 also cost less, and offered supercar performance in 1987. So it was easy for me to narrow down my list to a VW GTI and a Ford Mustang hatchback 5.0. The transaction prices were $500 apart, the Mustang costing more.
Subaru XT? Not for me.
Now, Cadillac has called dibs on XT6 moniker for its new 2019 SUV…
I know, right? They should’ve gone bigger, calling it the Mondial, or maybe Testarossa …
I remember being in the thick of the market around the time the came out. While certainly interesting visually, it was the usual somewhat weird Subaru that just pushed it a bit behind what many were comfortable with. And there was a lot of very good competition as William noted.
The legacy is that the XT name remained (remains) on many of the turbo Subaru models that don’t already have an alpha numeric, such as Forester XT and Outback XT.
The XT’s styling was “interesting” (if not “hot” for about 5 minutes when it was first introduced, but yeah, within the first model year it was already passing out of fashion.
In late ’89 I was looking to trade in my Chrysler Conquest for a practical economy car due to a new job and a long commute. I had a target price of about $7200-7500, which was solidly in Sentra/Corolla/Civic territory with minimal options. I pulled into a Subaru dealership to take a quick look at a Justy (who remembers THAT one?) and the salesman, likely seeing what I drove in with, and in light of my being a 22 year old guy at the time, tried his damnedest to get me to test drive an XT6. Apparently he could “get me into” one for just a “few dollars” more than my target range. No Sale.
You missed out on your chance for weirdness. I test drove a Justy once, partly because it was early in the gearless automatic thing. It was shockingly small, uncomfortable, and generally awful. My Horizon felt like a limo in comparison.
I’ve always loved the styling of these. It’s just a shame the mechanicals couldn;t cash the cheque the styling gave you.
I saw a couple of young guys having fun with one a few years back. It inspired me to build this.
Pete, your model making skills are outstanding. I always appreciate when you share from your collection.
Hey thanks, Daniel! Here was me thinking people would be sick of me posting model pictures so often.
That model is brilliant. You must have the steady hand of a surgeon.
Thanks Mike. They’re getting a bit shaky now but I try to keep my hand in.
I really liked these when new, while it may not have been a great performance car and had some gimmicky design elements it was well engineered and technically advanced. I think the XT aided Subaru in the long run, as it helped people forget the ugly cars built in the 1970’s and made them notice the ever updating Leone models.
The CC car is in terrific condition, and I love it’s icy blue color.
It’s amazing how few XTs (Alcyones) were sold in Japan!
I liked the SVX even more than this first generation Alcyone, but a Celica (or Supra) would of ended up being a better choice to buy when these cars were first sold on the market.
Just found this article, featuring my Vortex at Kitchen8. A couple of years on, it’s had a rusty chassis rail fixed, plus rust in the sunroof and under the back window attended to.
Japan sure produced some hit and miss sports coupes in the mid to late 80s. While I credit Subaru for being brave in releasing the XT. It really never stood out in a crowded field. Can’t recall seeing one more than once or twice. Its profile reminded me some of the later Hyundai Scoupe, another largely forgotten 80s import.
I bought a new 1987 Celica GT, and didn’t even consider the Subie. Drove it daily for 11 years. I was and am still in love with the Celica’s fluid styling. Toyota quality too.
Technical question: How are you doing the user-sortable tables? Is that a plugin, and if so, can I ask which one? (Tables are a huge pain with Classic Editor because you have to hand-code them and watch as it then strips most of your tags.)
I believe it is the TablePress plugin.
Beat me to it, JP. Yup, TablePress. It seems to work pretty well, Aaron… I’ll be using it again!
I wonder why there was such a price difference between the Mitsubishi Starion and the Conquest compared to the Daytona Turbo Z. Weren’t all 3 basically the same car? No, wait a second, the Daytona was a K car wasn’t it? How did it preform in comparison to the other 2?
Starion and Conquest were the same, Daytona was a K variant. The Mitsubishi was RWD, the Dodge FWD, performance was probably similar, though.
I enjoyed the writeup on an unusual and rare 80s car. Saw this at the 1985 Chicago Auto Show, back when I liked the way new cars looked.
But…
I had to remove an ad seven times covering my words as I typed that.
Two more times as I typed that last sentence.
Two more times on that one.
No, I really don’t want to buy a Bose speaker. I’m quite sure.
Sorry, this is getting stupid and I give up.
My goodness those are such goofy looking cars. Today their blatant, extreme, angular wedge profile is mighty polarizing compared to modern automobiles. All I can say about the XT is that it had good visibility.
I remember these from the 1988 movie “Big”…I think Tom Hanks’ girl friend (well the “adult age” girl friend drove one of these. Kind of fit the theme of the movie as for some reason I equated this car in particular as a toy. I was in the car market around this time and instead ended up with a 1986 VW GTi…but a decade earlier my Father bought a new 1976 Subaru DL in Winooski, Vt. so I was acquainted with Subaru. At the time I was also considering a 1986 Mitsubishi Galant (I know…nothing in common with the GTi, but I was less rigid in my automotive types back then). I didn’t even consider a Subaru; for one thing we had since moved to the sunbelt, and though the 1976 Subaru my Dad had was FWD, and pretty good in the snow compared to the light RWD car (Datsun) I was driving at that time, I no longer needed good snow traction. I liked sporty coupes (which have since become an endangered species; your comparison tables of all the models available back then as 2 doors makes me nostalgic for the time when insurance cost wasn’t the primary driver in choosing how many doors one’s car needed to have.
Well, I’ve aged out of my 2 door car phase, and am certainly no longer a scrambler (my sister still has a 97 240SX which I find comically low to the ground such that entrances and exits need to be considered as I don’t routinely squat so low to enter a car anymore). I do like the great visibility and the uniqueness and I guess just the “fun” factor of cars like this that’s seemed to have disappeared…but of course I’m no longer the target market for cars like this, but am glad I was young back when they were available and did partake while I still was young (I think I saw the movie “Big” on my 30th birthday back then).
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