Originally based upon the Subaru Legacy station wagon, the Outback was developed by Subaru as a more off-road-ready wagon complete with cosmetic and suspension changes. With the brand’s symmetrical all-wheel drive and signature naturally aspirated and turbocharged four and six-cylinder boxer engines, which also included a turbodiesel boxer engine for a while, the Outback provides all the attributes that have made the Subaru brand so popular around the globe.
Unfortunately, as South Africans, we are not the biggest fans of station wagons, a fact substantiated by the poor sales figures associated with vehicles of this body type. This means that despite proving relatively popular within the Subaru stable locally, products such as the Forester and XV have been better sellers for the Japanese brand. Here are 5 things that you need to know about what we consider to be an underappreciated product within the local market.
1.Safety
Subaru has made a big deal over the safety credentials of its latest Outback, separating its safety features into segments. The first segment is structural safety where it claims that the new Subaru Global Platform on which the Outback is based provides better rigidity and improved impact absorption.
The second sector includes the Outback's electronic stability, ABS, EBD, traction control and torque vectoring systems. The final section includes passive safety items such as the 8 airbags as well as the brand’s EyeSight semi-autonomous driving suite that includes lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, Pre-Collision Braking, Sway Warning and Lead Vehicle Start Alert, among others. The newcomer also includes what the brand calls its Vision Assist system that makes use of cameras situated near the windscreen as well as radars to offer functionality such as Blind Spot Monitor, Lane Change Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Reverse Automatic Braking.
This all sounds good, but how safe is the Outback when tested? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) which forms parts of the United States Department of Transportation tested the Outback in 2020. The model achieved the maximum 5-Star rating including 5-Stars for frontal crash and side-impact crash while achieving 4-Stars for its rollover protection.
2.Better space and connectivity
The interior dimensions of the Outback have grown as the new model is both wider and longer than its predecessor. This equates to more occupant leg and shoulder room while offering a large 522-litre boot, which expands to 1 267-litres with the rear row of seats folded flat. Also included in the package is a hands-free electric tailgate that can be opened without the use of your hands while items such as front and rear heated seats along with front electric seats add to the creature comforts.
The big news for those interested in infotainment updates will be the introduction of an 11.6-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system which is now mounted in a portrait style. The infotainment systems comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality along with niceties such as 4 USB ports and a 12-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system.
3.Two models, one powertrain
The latest Outback range consists of two models, the slightly more affordable Field derivative that features black and green exterior trim, 18-inch alloy wheels and silver cloth seats while the flagship Touring features 18-inch black alloy wheels, nappa leather seats and black exterior accents. Subaru claim that the two models are differentiated by their appeal, with the Field derivative appealing to the adventure seeker that ventures out of the city while the Touring has a more urban approach, if their marketing speak is to be believed.
Both Outback models are powered by the brand’s FB25 2.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that produces 138kW and 245Nm of torque. The engine is paired with a CVT gearbox with an artificial ‘stepping’ function that has the ability to mimic gearshifts when in manual mode. Both the gearbox and engine have been extensively reworked, allowing the Outback to achieve a claimed fuel consumption of 7.3L/100km and a fuel range of around 860km on a single tank.
Pricing
Subaru Outback 2.5i-Field ES R699 000
Subaru Outback 2.5i-Touring ES R729 000
