justy

A small car manufactured by the Subaru motor company from 86-94, the justy was unique in its market sector by having switchable 4 wheel drive via a button on the gearstick. Uk models were all 1200cc 3 cylinder 4 wheel drive in either 3 or 5 door hatchback, whilst other markets had the option of a 1000cc front wheel drive only. Although lacking the ground clearance to be a serious off roader such as a land rover, the 4wd justy is a capable performer in mud and snow, and in 1200 form was unique in producing 1bhp per cubic inch (73 bhp) In addition to the manual transmission a CVT automatic was also available, using a system similar to the Dutch DAF variomatic. The 3 cylinder Justy was replaced in 1995 by a new model which was a re-badged suzuki swift, in one trim level only, 1.3 GX featuring a 1300cc engine and a permanent Suzuki 4 wheel drive system,equipped with a central differential. In normal driving the front wheels provide traction, the rears only driving when loss of traction occurs to the front. The vehicle was built by Suzuki in Hungary and had no Subaru input apart from the badging. In many ways an inferior vehicle to the older justy, it had more up to date styling but had noticeably worse fuel economy and performance, courtesy of lower gearing and extra weight of the 4wd system, and the vehicle as a whole was dynamically inferior to most other cars in its rather high price range. production finished in 2002 and an all new Justy is due for launch shortly.