Is the hill assist feature in the Legacy the same as the automatic handbrake function?

I have a 2020 low-end version of the Legacy. There's a button behind the gear lever on the right for hill assist. I accidentally discovered that when pressed, the car doesn't roll back when parked on a slope. It automatically engages the electronic handbrake, and you can just hit the gas to go uphill. On flat ground, if you're in D gear and engage the electronic handbrake, you can just press the gas to move forward. 🙂

Hill Assist is indicated by a green uphill car light. When you stop on an incline, it automatically engages the handbrake. That's how it works on my 2010 Legacy. Not sure about the automatic handbrake; maybe owners of the newer models can chime in.

Correct answer, +100 points 💡

The two are different. Hill Assist prevents the car from rolling backward on steep slopes (even in D gear, a steep slope can cause rollback). It doesn't make a difference on flat ground. The electronic handbrake is used for parking. They are completely separate functions.