In South Africa, station wagons are sadly not amongst the top-performing segments. Far from it, in fact. However, Subaru is still on track to introduce their rough and ready wagon, the ever-popular Outback.
This will be the sixth generation of one of the brand top-sellers globally and certainly looks familiar, although it was refined to ensure a more chiselled look. The newcomer is built on Subaru’s universal platform which translates to unrivalled practically, as one would expect from a wagon. Similar to its bigger brother, the Forester, the Outback now has the same eyesight system and also offers advanced adaptive cruise control with Autonomous Corrective Steering and improved lane-keeping functionality.
As for the powertrain: the Outback will be available with a 2.5 naturally aspirated four-cylinder boxer engine. It’s slightly more powerful than the current unit pushing out 136 kW power and 239 Nm of torque. This engine will be paired with a CVT which has an 8-speed manual mode and steering mounted shifters as well as Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive is standard.
As for the interior, the Outback will be available with an 11.6-inch tablet-style StarLink infotainment system and central information display for the driver which will have Apple CarPlay and Andriod Auto capability.
Subaru, already known for great advancements in safety, will debut a brand new safety feature with the Outback. Named the DriverFocus, it is Subaru’s crack at a Distraction Mitigation System and it will be introduced to the majority of future Subaru models. The camera will use facial recognition to monitor fatigue and distraction while driving and will launch a warning if it detects any lack of focus.
The Outback will be available in two specs:
Subaru Outback 2.5i-Field ES R699 000
Subaru Outback 2.5i-Touring ES R729 000
We at the adventure team are eager to drive this Overlanding wagon.
