Subaru claims to have achieved more than 1100km on a tank of fuel with steady driving in Australian motorway conditions. Nick Senior, Subaru Australia managing director, says that driving 25,000km a year at $90 per tank of diesel would save around $2500 over 20 months against a similar petrol powered car. Further savings, he says, can be made by the fact that the first service is not until 12,500km or six months driving.

 

The four-cylinder engine delivers an above-average 110kW of power at 3600rpm and a generous 350Nm of torque between 1800 and 2400rpm – the latter weighing in with 300Nm of pulling power at just 1600 revs. Three diesel models are available, all with a six-speed manual transmission linked to Subaru’s signature Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system.

 

 

With the 2.0 Premium with SatNav as test car I can vouch for the claimed fuel economy. This was attained ignoring a digital readout indicating which gear the car was in and when it was time to change up or down to save on fuel. Further ‘help’ was offered by a dash-mounted ‘econometer’ whose needle pointed to the amount of diesel being consumed by the motor at any one time – too many distractions, really. Generally, the car produced a relaxed, if slightly underwhelming, drive – moving off from rest smoothly but being in the right gear with the right revs was a must for stress-free overtaking.

 

The B-pillar produced an annoying blind spot and the limited visibility to the rear made the reversing camera a welcome addition even if it was difficult to see the guidelines on the screen due to reflection in bright sunlight. Generally, though, the driving position was fine, the leather clad seats offering comfort and support in the right ratio. The Outback shares the same improved cabin space as the petrol versions thanks to a revised platform that makes for greater leg room and more shoulder width.

 

The rear seat will take three average-build adults with ease and cargo capacity is up 31 litres. Wider doors are a bonus too. Occupants can be comforted further by the wagon’s winning a maximum five-star safety rating (a three-star pedestrian score) thanks the addition of a driver’s knee airbag, cabin strengthening and a new single cradle engine bay design that not only improves safety but also cuts noise, and refines the ride and stability.

 

An electrically operated park brake is within easy reach of the driver and Datadot security, hopefully, keeps the wagon off the car thieves’ potential target list. The Outback 2.0D rounds out Subaru’s crossover wagon range, bringing together quality fit and finish, fuel economy and low exhaust emissions. Subaru does not give out acceleration performance figures. Qualitatively, this diesel disappoints.