Subaru has shown off its new Outback, which this time is ditching diesel and going with only a 2.5-litre horizontally-opposed 'Boxer' petrol engine. Irish prices and arrival dates have not yet been confirmed, but we can do a little perusing of the details ahead of those announcements...
Safest Subaru ever
Perhaps the most important thing to say about this sixth generation Outback (remember when it was still called Legacy Outback? Good times...) is that Subaru reckons that it's the safest car it's ever built. The Japanese company has - rightfully - been winning plaudits for its 'Eyesight' camera-based automated braking and collision warning system in the past few years, and the new Outback gets the latest version, with a wider field of view (almost twice as much, actually). Plus there's a lot of other high-tech safety equipment, including (deep breath); Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centring Function, Emergency Lane Keep Assist, Speed Sign Recognition with Intelligent Speed Limiter, Lane Departure Warning with steering wheel vibration, Lane Departure Prevention and Pre-Collision Braking System with expanded support for collision avoidance at junctions and crossroads.
There's also a new driver fatigue monitor, an emergency-braking-in-reverse feature, and other more 'active' safety features such as good all-round visibility, thanks to carefully located roof pillars. Oh, and you can have a blind-spot monitoring system too.
If all of that can't keep you safe, then there's also the new body, which features more high-tensile steel and which Subaru says has 40 per cent better performance in frontal, side and rear end collisions.
182hp 2.5-litre Boxer engine
As ever, the Outback gets Subaru's traditional 'symmetrical' four-wheel drive system, which gets its power from the 2.5-litre engine via a CVT automatic gearbox. While that engine size and configuration might sound familiar, Subaru says that around 90 per cent of its parts and design are new. The CVT has come in for some attention, as well, and Subaru claims that its hydraulic system has been redesigned and the oil viscosity lowered, which reduces horsepower loss by 22 per cent compared to the previous Outback model.
The redesigned engine develops some 182hp and 238Nm of torque, and Subaru says that it has a 2,000kg maximum braked towing weight (or 750kg unbraked). That's about it for the performance figures for now, but for what it's worth in the US, the new Outback scores 8.5-litres per 100km fuel economy (which would likely work out slightly better on the WLTP test).
Refinement is also said to be significantly improved, thanks to a stiffer body structure which also allows Subaru to claim enhanced straight-line stability and more resistance to roll in corners.
Improved off-road performance
Inside, while the overall style will be familiar to anyone who drove the outgoing Outback, there are some significant differences. The base of the windscreen has moved forwards, and the cabin is wider to allow for more interior space. The shape and style of the dashboard are lifted pretty much directly from the current VX and Forester models, but in the centre of the dash is a new 11.6-inch portrait-style touchscreen. There's also an interior camera with a facial recognition system that can store up to five people's faces and details and automatically adjust the car's settings to suit as soon as you sit inside.
On the practical front, there's a 522-litre boot, an electric tailgate (with a pop-up luggage cover), and a choice of fold-out roof-rails, or more rugged and heavy-duty fixed roof rails.
This being a Subaru, proper off-road performance has been built into the new Outback, thanks to the 213mm ground clearance, and also an upgraded 'X-Mode' system. This gives you hill descent control, a Dirt/Snow mode, and a more serious Deep Snow/Mud mode for when the going gets properly tough. For on-road driving, there's the SI-Drive system, which basically allows you to choose between Sport and Normal driving modes.
Oh, and there's the ultimate in practicality too - a washer jet for the rear-view camera lens. Why doesn't every car have one of those?
In design terms, again the new Outback picks up where the old one left off, but with a slightly more chiselled look, a more upright grille, and new lights (LED units, natch). There are 18-inch alloy wheels, and inside you can have premium Nappa leather seats or more durable and practical synthetic leather seats which are waterproof and which come with natty green contrast stitching.
The new Outback will come in three trim levels - Limited, Field and Touring - and there are two new exterior paint options - Autumn Green Metallic and Brilliant Bronze Metallic.
As we say, as soon as we have Irish market details, we'll update this piece.