Flying back to the Gold Coast from a
cold, wet launch of the all-new 4th generation Subaru
Outback I was seated next to a Melbourne couple three young kids. We
got chatting and they asked me where I had been and they said they
loved Subaru cars. In fact early last year they sold their Subaru
Forester, but only because it was too small for the growing family. I
was intrigued to find out they had purchased a Fiat Ritmo, as it
better suited their needs. Some way down the ownership track the
Ritmo is still revered by the family, so it works for them.
In March 2008 the all-new Forester was
launched with increased leg room of 109mm up to 965mm, and you might
ask what that has to do with all-new Outback. Well, it seems, among
other internal Subaru issues, Forester may have become a little too
close in size to Outback. In the car industry it's called cannibalism
when one product takes sales from another product from the same
company. Also, Outback looked too much like the Liberty wagon. Same
problem.
So the all-new Outback has been
tailored larger than the current model and it's looks have been
modified away from the Liberty DNA. Now the Outback looks like an SUV
and the Liberty wagon ... looks like a wagon. Since it's release in
1996 Outback has been a consistent performer on and off road as well
as in the showrooms, with sales of 65,000 and is one of the
better-performed cross-over vehicles.
“Passenger space, cargo area size and
fuel efficiency were the three biggest areas of customer feedback in
the superseded models, and they have been addressed in the new
generation car,” said Subaru Australian managing director, Nick
Senior. “Outback's interior growth makes it even more appealing to
families who already appreciate its versatility, reliability and
quality.” Outback is bigger in all respects. It is 65mm longer,
50mm wider, 70mm higher and the wheelbase is 75mm longer. Like the
new Liberty, the expansion has been passed on to passengers in the
way of improved comfort and space. The room between the front seats
has been increased by 30mm thanks to the inclusion of an electric
parking brake, which gets rid of the traditional lever between the
pews. Space between the front and rear seats improves by 68mm and
rear leg room is up 99mm, front hip room up by 89mm and rear hip room
by 34mm. Front should room is up 48mm and rear should room 62mm. This
makes the new Outback a genuine adult five seater in terms of
comfort.
Mechanical changes to Outback include a
new 3.6 R model using the 3.6 litre boxer engine from Tribeca, a new
CVT transmission, and a six speed manual option on 2.5i models. Like
Liberty, Outback also gets an engine cradle that attaches to the
chassis and improves frontal crash safety as well as handling and
noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) inside the cabin.
The new Outback line-up has five
models:
. Outback
2.5i with CVT or six speed manual
. Outback 2.5i Premium with leather
trim, sunroof and rear air vents
. Outback 2.5i with SatNav which
includes DVD, reversing camera and Bluetooth compatibility
. Outback 3.6 R with six cylinder Boxer
engine, five speed auto transmission and Xenon headlights
. Outback 3.6 R Premium with SatNav,
DVD,reversing camera, Bluetooth compatibility,
leather trim, power passenger seat, McIntosh sound
system and electric sunroof.
Outback will be further enhanced when a
2.0 litre diesel variant goes on sale in Australia later this year.
New Outback has an ANCAP 5 star safety
rating and now includes a driver's knee SRS airbag. The addition of
the CVT transmission has resulted in improvements to fuel economy
including an 11.2 per cent improvement in Outback 2.5i CVT and 7.2
per cent in the 3.6 R. Emissions are also down.
Despite the improvements and all new
platform Outback pricing remains the same: entry-level 2.5i starting
at $37,990 and the range-topping Premium with SatNav at $55,990. The
new body shape is decidedly SUV with the vehicle sitting well off the
turf and boasting an aggressive front end with flared wheel arches
and projector style low-beam headlights.
Outback has the latest generation of
boxer engines – both naturally aspirated. Subaru state they
concentrated on delivery of low end torque rather than maximum power
output. The 2.5i produces 123 Kw or power at 5600 rpm and 229 Nm of
torque at 4000 rpm. This engine has several refinements including a
change to the port shape for better fuel efficiency and exhaust gas
emissions, improved cooling around the spark plugs and lighter
pistons. The cam profile has also been changed to improve exhaust gas
and output. A single muffler is now used, reducing wright by around 6
kg.
The 3.6 R engine is mated to a five
speed auto, but is the same size as the 3.0 litre engine it replaces.
Despite offering better performance it runs on 90RON unleaded fuel
and produces 191 kW of power at 5600 rpm and 350Nm of torque at 4400
rpm.
Unlike the 2.5i which is suited to the
CVT transmission the 3.6 R six uses a five speed auto transmission
which uses Automatic Transmission Fluid warmer via the engine coolant
as it heats up to improve fuel efficiency to reduce transmission
friction soon after starting. For the first time a six speed manual
transmission is also available in Outback, but only on the 2.5i
variants. This unit is 25 kg lighten than the superseded five speed
it replaces.
Outback shares a similar interior to
Liberty and apart of it's new found roominess and comfort levels, is
a practical workspace for the driver as we have come to expect from
Subaru. Outback has seven airbags and the new model has larger side
and curtain airbags for greater protection and the layout of SRS
sensors has been optimised for faster response.
The entry level Outback 2.5i comes well
equipped with Vehicle Dynamic Control, ABS, Electronic
Brakeforce Distribution, Brake Assist, child seat anchor points, 7
air bags, dual zone climate control, cargo security blind, leather
steering wheel with audio and cruise control buttons, MP3/WMA
compatible, paddle shifter on auto, six stacker in-dash CD, 17 inch
alloy wheels, plus a host of other power controls. Premium adds
electric sunroof, leather trim and rear air vents while Premium with
SatNav adds Bluetooth compatibility, DVD/CD single disc, reversing
camera, SatNav, and Aux jack.
Outback 3.6 R adds dual exhaust, auto
lights, rain sensing wipers, rear air vents, push button start,
wood-type dash and door high lights, and Xenon low beam headlights.
Premium with SatNav adds electric sunroof, leather trim, McIntosh
sound system, eight-way power adjustable drivers seat, reversing
camera, SatNav and Aux jack.
FIRST DRIVE
The first Outback we hopped into was
the top of the line Premium 3.6 R with SatNav and we have to say we
did not like the timber inserts in the dash or on the doors. Instead
of adding to the car is looks trashy as if from some Korean car
trying to make a `classy' impression. Subaru don't need to do that.
The interior is otherwise functional and within seconds of plonking
yourself down behind the wheel you feel completely at home, apart
from getting used to the new electric hand brake, which we like.
Subaru selected a drive program near Daylesford, Victoria which
consisted of a loop of around 44 km including tight, twisting bitumen
and gravel roads. Given the weather was cold and wet it was a perfect
test drive for the Outback. This was what it was built to do. And it
did it well. The 3.6 R engine linked to the five speed auto is a gem
and the Outback in this guise is no slouch. It handles the rough
stuff beautifully with the cabin well insulated from the undulating
road surface. It points nicely into corners and the five speed is
responsive to an extra kick to the right pedal, with the all wheel
drive handling the extra torque with poise. Inside the cabin the lack
of road and engine noise has a surreal feel, but there's good
feedback through the steering, brake and accelerator to let you know
what zone the car is in.
We also drove the entry-level 2.5 i
which is similar in all respects to the 3.6 R apart from straight
line grunt. We drove the CVT variant and it is surprisingly smooth
and lacks the slipping-clutch sound and feel that we have experienced
in other CVT transmissions. We like it and for no-fuss city or
country applications the Subaru CVT is for all intents the ultimate
seamless transmission that delivers what we all want – improved
fuel economy. We like the new spaciousness inside Outback which has
taken an already impressive car and made it significantly more
family-friendly.
OUTBACK MY 2010 PRICING
2.5i manual
$37,990
2.5i CVT auto
$40,490
2.5i Premium manual
$41,490
2.5i Premium CVT
$43,990
2.5i Premium SatNav manual
$43,990
2.5i Premium SatNav CVT
$46,490
3.6 R five spd auto
$48,490
3.6R with SatNav
$55,990
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