2015 Subaru Liberty previewed in concept

While Subaru is taking the wraps of a concept pointing to the next Liberty wagon styling at Tokyo motor show next week, around the other side of the world it will coincide with the silk being whipped off the sedan version in Los Angeles.

Subaru has released images showing the sleeker look for the next Legacy sedan -- known as the Liberty here -- ahead of the four-seater concept car's its official debut at LA show next week, and marking the car's 25th anniversary. And while we can expect the styling to be toned down before it his the production line, the show car has sleeker cues that suggest the Liberty may be shedding some of its staid approach.

And a new look could reinvigorate sales, which have lagged for the current model launched in 2009, which this year has sold 2,208, down about 40 per cent on the 3,678 that had rolled out the door this time last year.

The LA show sedan, which marks 25 years of the Liberty, gets a sexier four-door coupe approach with some hints of aggression in the low-slung body with its short overhangs, hexagonal grille flanked by 'hawk-eye' headlights, muscular wheel arches, plus prominent vertical front intake ducts and rear diffuser -- neither of which is likely to survive to production.

There are no details of what's under the bonnet, but we already know the Levorg wagon concept bound for Tokyo is powered by a new turbocharged and direct-injected 1.6-litre four-cylinder 'boxer' engine, so the performance focus of the sedan styling hints we could see the LA concept carrying a higher tune of that powerplant, plus Subaru's signature all-wheel drive.

This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott