A SUBARU REVIVAL
Remember Subaru? There was a time when this off-beat Japanese cult car-maker made everything from white-knuckle rally-driving Imprezas to practical offroading estates. Then it seemed to disappear from the limelight.
Well now it is making a cautious and low-key comeback by refreshing its range. And I’ve just taken my first Subaru drive for a long time, in the new flagship all-wheel drive Outback estate. It’s the sixth generation since the model’s launch in 1995.
It was quite a change from most cars — but in a positive way. I love the rugged look and chunky exterior, which carried through to the solid leather-wrapped steering wheel.
It’s certainly a safe pair of hands. It has eyesight driver assist tech that monitors your eyes and warns you if you’re nodding off or failing to look at the road ahead. It scored highly in crash tests, too, and warns about at-risk pedestrians or cyclists. most of the sat-nav and infotainment functions are via an 11.6 in central screen.
It’s well-stocked with driver aids and comforts, including heated and power-adjustable seats, a hands-free power-tailgate, hill descent control, voicerecognition and both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
There are three trim levels for the Outback range starting with the Limited from £34,070, up to the Touring at £39,499.
I was driving the mid-range Field priced from £38,070. It sits high with 213mm — or nearly 8½ in — of ground clearance and can tow up to 2 tonnes.
Its horizontally opposed or ‘boxer’ petrol engine is linked to a Lineartronic continuously variable transmission (CVT).
It’s a decent drive, accelerates smoothly, and is great at negotiating bumps. but 0 to 62mph acceleration is an uninspiring 10.2 seconds, up to a top speed of 120mph.
Fuel economy is similarly a middling 33mpg. And I kept looking for a ‘sport’ button. There isn’t one. I felt Subaru had missed a trick. but, overall, I enjoyed the experience.