Punch for punch

A BOXER FIGHTING OUT OF ITS DIVISION

DESPITE BEING a 2498cc boxer four-cylinder like its predecessor, Subaru claims 90 percent of the latest Outback’s engine is new. Direct fuel injection has been added and the compression ratio increased from 10.3 to 12.0:1, resulting in an extra 9kW/10Nm, but its straightline performance falls well short of more recent arrivals at the pointy end of the category. Ironically, the 194kW/375Nm 2.4-litre turbo Outback XT available in the United States would vault Subaru to the front of the field if it was available here.