There’s a new look for the Subaru Outback which has built up an army of admirers in recent years and should be considered to be one of the industry’s ‘Crossover’ pioneers.
The revamped Subaru Outback
The Subaru Outback now gets a makeover and an automatic diesel added to its line-up.
Subaru is adding a 2-litre diesel engine to its Lineartronic CVT (continuously variable transmission) for the first time which, they say, is a world first.
Launched in 1996, the Subaru Outback was one of the early crossover concepts which offered a family estate car which had superior on-road handling as well as the capabilities of an off-road vehicle.
Subaru Outback economy is improved
One of the downsides to owning a Subaru Outback in previous years has been its fuel economy but the new drivetrain will now return up to 44.8mpg on the combined cycle and 166/km CO2.
The firm’s designers have given the Subaru Outback a visual refreshing on both the interior and exterior and there’s an improved ride. A chassis upgrade means that handling is better and, in particular, engineers have been tweaking the front and rear suspension to help create a stable ride and increased comfort for those inside the car.
The 2014 model year for the Subaru Outback also include the latest version of Subaru’s vehicle dynamics control and there’s also a wider range of colours to choose from.
The Subaru Outback also has slightly larger fog lamps and the alloy wheels are finished in gunmetal as standard.
The interior has a more expensive feel with good use of black metallic panels to help give that premium car impression and the cockpit instruments have also been moved to be more user-friendly and the dashboard has been redesigned.
One of the strongest reasons for buying a Subaru Outback is for Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive system (AWD) which really is class leading. Buyers with the manual transmission will find that their AWD technology has active torque split while those with CVT will have a slightly different system but both will bring excellent driving dynamics in all conditions both on- and off-road.
However, in an increasingly competitive market, Subaru really has improved the standard spec level for equipment and their new trim level, the SX, has a raft of impressive standards including power-sliding glass sunroof, self-levelling headlamps and rain sensing wipers.
The Subaru Outback SX also has front fog lights, heated mirrors, timed rear window defogger, front and side window defrosters and a de-icer function for the windscreen wipers.
There’s also the usual range of infotainment systems including Bluetooth, dual zone air conditioning and an audio system with USB connectivity.
The revamped Subaru Outback goes on sale from 1 November and prices start at £29,995 for the SX manual.