Pumped-up estate enters its seventh generation with new Boxer engines and platform.
Isn’t it based on the Legacy?
Yes it is. The Subaru Outback you see here in official pictures is the seventh-gen model that is based on the Legacy sedan, also in the same generation and just renewed earlier this year.
Like before, the Outback is a jacked-up estate and is aimed at buyers who don’t need the excessive stance and sheer off-road ability of a traditional SUV.
The Outback employs the latest Subaru Global Platform already applied in the XV, Forester, Legacy and US-only Ascent. Merits include more stiffness for better road-holding and ride comfort, according to Subaru.
Models from other brands that also feature such a body style include the Audi A4/A6 Allroad, Mercedes-Benz E-Class All Terrain and Volvo V70/V90 Cross Country. The most direct rivals for the Outback in terms of size are the A4 Allroad and V60 Cross Country.
The Outback sits on the same 2,745mm wheelbase length as its predecessor and its Legacy donor vehicle. For the sake of some off-road ability, the Outback has a 220mm ground clearance.
Does it still have symmetrical 4WD?
Yes, in the typical Subaru fashion for enhanced all-weather grip. And to make handling sharper in corners, the Outback comes with the so-called active torque vectoring. Already used in previous model, the system doesn’t use a differential but applies brakes to a certain front wheel.
The Outback uses the same flat-four petrol engines and CVT automatic as in the Legacy including 182hp naturally aspirated 2.5-litre and 260hp turbocharged 2.4-litre, the latter being a new development designed as an engine-downsizing exercise from the older 3.6-litre flat-six.
Like in the Legacy, the Outback comes with a revamped cabin featuring higher grade materials and 11.6in tablet-style infotainment screen (aping that of Volvo’s).
Can it bear with the SUV brouhaha?
As said earlier, the Outback appeals to a slightly different set of buyers needing some off-road ability. Most of these customers are said to be in North America.
True, many people in this part of the world would simply jump straight to an SUV bypassing the Outback and its likes, as well as estates.
But as the Ascent is a seven-seat SUV built primarily for the Americans, the five-seat Outback is probably the biggest recreational Subaru that can sell elsewhere around the world.
The previous Outback was sold in Thailand as an import from Japan. It came with a non-turbo 2.5-litre costing around 2.5 million baht, the price range of smaller luxury SUVs like the BMW X1 and Volvo XC40.
