Will Subaru race ahead amid Toyota’s woes?

Their after-sales service is also quite good.

Another brand that is shy of the limelight is Subaru.

Petrol-heads racing turbo charged Subaru Imprezas and Legacys are doing all the marketing while the custodians of the brand wait at horse jumping competitions to woo buyers with the passion and automotive-emotion of a plank of wood.

That said, Fuji Heavy Industries, the manufacturers of Subaru in Japan are working hard to provide the best technology in their new 2010 range of vehicles.

I was stunned on Tuesday evening by the zeal with which the Subaru owners will prove that their brand is a performer on the road.

A friend who owns a couple of Subarus will not miss the opportunity to prove how powerful his Station Wagon Legacy is at climbing hills.

The challenging Kinungi ascent on the super-smooth Nakuru-Nairobi highway should be christened “Subaru hill”.

Every Subaru owner cherishes this opportunity to overtake other vehicles on this stretch.

What can we expect from this shy Japanese brand in 2010? Here is a snap shot of the goodies available.

A set of new powertrains, including a revised 170-hp 2.5-liter 4-cylinder Boxer engine and a new 256-hp 3.6-litre Boxer engine.

This engine replaces the 3.0 litre that impressed when I tested the Tribeca a few years ago.

They have thrown in the first-ever six-speed manual transmission and available LineartronicTM CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) for Outback 2.5i models.

Out of sight is a new double-wishbone rear suspension and other chassis enhancements to deliver superiority in corners.

Because these cars are fast, they need to stop urgently so the improved Brake Assist safety feature now comes as standard.

Limited models offer new voice-activated GPS navigation system with rear backup camera, hands-free Bluetooth, USB/iPod input and streaming Bluetooth audio.