Subaru Outback | Test Drive | Auto Class Magazine

Subaru Outback | Test Drive

8 November 2021 Redazione News, Stories, Tested

SUBARU OUTBACK

Words Marco Mancino / Photos Andy Williams

Over the course of its existence, the Outback has undergone a major metamorphosis turning itself from an all-round wagon into a full-fledged SUV. The market asks for it, especially the overseas one, which represents the largest slice of the sales volume of the Pleiades company. And even in Europe the same language is spoken, because where SUVs may appear too bulky and expensive, you get crossovers, which are constantly growing also due to a strong attitude to the city environment in which most of us have to deal with during the working week. The Outback, as mentioned, changes and keeps up with the times, however it is the model that, representing the pinnacle of the Subaru range, intends to maintain an even more marked identity than the other models on the list.

Still, there is something that makes the Subaru Outback an incredibly representative vehicle and this not only because in 90% of movies and tv shows set far from the city, it will happen to see an Outback of a few years ago remembering how much it is a good choice when the road or weather conditions become harsh. 2019 marks the moment for the sixth generation, which definitively takes the shape of an SUV, with a length of 487 cm (+5 compared to the model it replaces), a width of 188 cm and a height of 168 cm, with a ground clearance of 21.3 cm, a fundamental figure that will come useful once we find ourselves on rough terrain, appropriately recalled by the legendary name “Outback”, one of the wildest places on the entire planet. Dimensions that therefore increase and that go hand in hand with the stylistic features introduced with the new Forester, in this case taken and pulled to offer even more space on board and one of the largest load compartments available on the market: 470 liters that become 1,822, with the rear sofa folded down.

In perfect harmony with what has already been seen with the most recent models, nothing has been left to chance also concerning the passenger compartment and right here we find a larger vertically developed 11.6″ display, equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Everything else smells of Subaru, starting with the legendary permanent all-wheel drive transmission, passing through the X-mode with three different settings (Snow – Gravel / Normal / Deep Snow – Mud) and the now ubiquitous Lineartronic CVT gearbox, now with 8 virtual ratios, instead of 7. But it does not end there, because the Outback does not embrace – at least for the moment – the hybrid philosophy and indeed confirms the generous 4-cylinder 2.5-liter petrol engine, deeply renewed and which now delivers 169 horsepower at 5,000 rpm , with a maximum torque of 252 Nm at 3,800 rpm. The overall weight that stops the scales at 1,664 kg makes the Outback agile, despite what can be assumed looking at it from the outside and the perception of the same once you leave the paved road and take a dirt path that will soon become a mule trail, ideal context to realize if the Outback has remained the undisputed jewel we are used to.

We reach Caprauna early in the morning, it is a day of bright sun and no wind at all, ideal for looking for a pinch of refreshment immersed in nature, with the awareness that even this Subaru, although it seems to wink at an even more wide slice of customers, is able to make us climb regardless of the conditions of the kilometers of dirt road dividing us from the spot chosen for the picnic in the shade of some pristine group of trees. The first stretch, the one that leads us to Madonna del Lago, is tarmac and even if it has some branches and numerous holes on the ground, it is overcome without the slightest uncertainty, pampered by the soft leather seats and by the air conditioning that keeps us sheltered from insects and from the heat that increases with each passing minute. Suddenly, the secondary road comes to an end and the asphalt gives way to a narrow strip of gravel and stones. It is not yet necessary to call into action the X-mode, but we slow down the pace so as not to put unnecessary stress on the tires, a set of traditional Bridgestone Alenza, which however prove to be at ease even in the most extreme situations.

It is a matter of a few kilometers and I start wondering if it is better to find a point to backtrack and walk the freshly discovered path among the vegetation, rather than continue to venture into the unknown. The problem is that there is absolutely nowhere to maneuver other than forward and so I am convinced that the Outback will not make me regret having challenged a road probably forgotten by everyone. The stones below us are getting bigger and more treacherous, there are also sections with slopes that make you appreciate the height from the ground of the platform, while the X-mode takes us out of a kind of muddy pit created by the heavy rains of recent days. Continuing at no more than 5 or 8 kph – I really don’t know if you need to measure such a speed – the road seems to never end and every time I check the satellite map thinking I am almost halfway, I am invariably disappointed. We do not give up and finally I let the fear of meeting someone from the opposite direction make room for the fun of exploring such a hidden corner that unlikely will make unexpected company to appear in front of us.

The Alta via dei Monti Liguri, which logically crosses the Liguria region along paths ideal for mountain bikes or trekking boots, cannot help but consecrate the new Outback as the perfect heir of the previous generations, this time made more mature thanks to an even more complete spec in terms of safety and on board comfort, but without losing a bit of that off-road capability that makes a Subaru the most reasonable alternative to a pure off-road vehicle. Actually not everyone will be willing to risk the paint of a car that starts at just over € 40,000 (42,750 for the Style version, at least 48,000 for a Premium like this one here), but this Subaru is ready to take and bring any family on top of any road, just for keep driving some more and roam where there is not even a hint of a road, where you just need space to put your wheels down and feel at one with the most uncontaminated nature, where the prize of total freedom prevails over a declared average consumption of 7.4 l/100 km, in the shape of a full tank of good times.