Outback legacy continues
Subaru celebrates the Outback’s 25th birthday with an allnew version that it says is the greatest one yet, writes
Twenty-five years after the original launched as a variant of the Legacy wagon, Subaru New Zealand has unleashed an allnew version of its most popular car, the iconic Outback, now a separate model and packing more tech and luxury than ever before.
Make me an instant expert: what do I need to know?
The latest version of the Outback is the first to sit on the new Subaru Global Platform that underpins the Impreza, XV and Levorg and also features a ‘‘90 per cent new’’ version of the 2.5-litre four-cylinder boxer engine with fractionally more power (up 7 per cent to 138kw) and torque (up 4.2 per cent to 245Nm) than the old one.
That’s right – there’s no sixcylinder engines in the lineup, and there won’t be in the future either, although a 193kw turbo version has been confirmed as coming soon.
As always, AWDIS standard across the Outback range. The travelling to all four wheels is through a ‘‘refined’’ version of Subaru’s Lineartronic continuously variable transmission, which now features an 8-speed manual mode, up one over the previous version.
The Outback is fractionally larger than the last one – it’s 50mm longer and 35mm wider – and Subaru has drastically upped the quality of the interior, largely banishing the hard plastics that have been a Subaru interior hallmark for some time now in favour of high-quality, soft-touch surfaces throughout the entire range.
The local version of the Outback is slightly different to the version that has been around in the United States for awhile now, with amore ‘‘crossover-y’’ appearance, thanks to the black guards and a different grille, but the range is relatively simple at launch, with just one drivetrain and three trim levels to choose from.
First up is the standard Outback that kicks off the range at $49,990 and comes standard with 18-inch alloy wheels, power front seats, a big 11.6-inch portrait-orientation touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple Carplay, Subaru’s Dual Function X-mode off-road programme that now features a deep snow/mud mode, the new fourth-generation Eyesight driver assist system, selflevelling LED headlights and Subaru’s clever roof rack system that integrates fold-out crossbars into the roof rails.
The off-road-oriented $54,990
Outback X gets all of the entry car’s features, but adds waterresistant synthetic leather upholstery, dark metallic 18-inch alloy wheels, heated seats front and rear, a leather steering wheel, front and side cameras, integrated satellite navigation, a powered tailgate with a handsfree sensor in the rear badge (no foot waving here), a black grille, door mirrors, fog light surrounds, front and rear bumper guards and rear badge, as well as green exterior accents and green stitching on the interior.
Finally, the range-topper (so far) is the $57,490 Outback Touring that drops the X’s exterior bling (and green stitching) and adds gloss-finish 18-inch alloys, Nappa leather upholstery throughout, an electric sunroof, a Harmon Kardon audio system, driver recognition (that uses the driver monitoring camera to automatically recognise the driver and change the car’s settings to their pre-saved personalised choices), a CD player, a heated steering wheel and satin finish door mirrors.
Where did you drive it?
Subaru New Zealand was, as always – and rightfully – confident in the Outback’s offroad abilities so let us loose through the legendary Nevis Valley in Central Otago.
This is a road with warning signs each end saying that it most certainly isn’t suitable for cars, so the Outback’s ‘‘crossover’’ status would be well and truly tested.
Except it wasn’t really – anyone who has ever driven one off-road in the past 25 years will immediately know that the Outback is remarkably adept at such things, regardless of its origins as a Legacy wagon, and that, well, legacy (sorry) continues with the new one.
We drove a base-spec Outback during the entire day and thanks to the fact that the entire range now gets Subaru’s Dual Function X-mode, it certainly was not left wanting by the higher-spec cars in an off-road sense. Or an on-road one either, for that matter.
On a sealed road the Outback feels instantly familiar, despite being on a new platform. That means it is beautifully composed and confidently planted, with the sort of cornering stance a fullblown SUV could never even dream of.
The ride is somewhat firmer than you would probably imagine, but it is never intrusive or unpleasant, and just adds to the general air of confident predictability that the Outback has.
The seats (just your basic cloth pews in the entry car) were simply superb – supportive and armchair-like in their comfort – and the newly luxurious interior is a simply massive improvement. Where previously Subarus have generally had a number of screens scattered around the cabin, everything has been wrangled onto the single large touchscreen in the Outback, making for a far more ergonomically pleasing experience.
There are still buttons for the essential operations, which is nice, although the large screen in the entry car did feel a bit like it was a big, impressive fancy screen that actually did very little without the embedded navigation of the higher spec cars.
The engine and transmission are probably the weakest link in the Outback’s otherwise impressive arsenal on the road. The naturally-aspirated engine needs just a tad more torque to be truly convincing, and the CVT only added to that ‘‘ever-soslightly lacking’’ feeling on the open road. Off-road, however, it felt well-suited to terrain crawling, with a nice, linear throttle response and deeply impressive traction for something without a low range.
What’s the pick of the range?
While we spent our time in the entry car, it would seem the Outback X offers the best value for money and correct featurespec in the range. If you can get it with the green highlights, that is.
That said, the entry car offers up a convincing package for very reasonable money – interestingly, at $49,990 it costs the same as the original Outback did when it launched in 1996, making it even better value for money now.
Why would I buy it?
Because you want a roomy, comfortable, high-spec crossover without resorting to the unweildy bulk of a tall SUV. Or because you are already an Outback owner and always will be. They tend to be like that.
Why wouldn’t I buy it?
You remain singularly unconvinced by CVTS and the Outback’s will do nothing to change your mind. Or because you are already an Outback owner and you are waiting for the 193kw turbo version that will arrive at some stage...