SUBARU HAS ADDED TWO NEW turbocharged models to the refreshed Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Subaru Outback range.
Having arrived on Australian shores, customers are taking delivery of their MY23 Subaru Outbacks following a successful pre-order campaign launched in September last year.
Whilst the entire Subaru Outback range benefits from 2023 model year updates designed to increase the user-friendliness of the vehicle, the highly anticipated turbocharged variants enable the Outback range to offer greater choice for Australian consumers.
Complementing the 2.5-litre direct-injection naturally aspirated engine that provides an excellent and reliable on-road and off-road driving experience, the more powerful 2.4-litre direct-injection turbocharged (DIT) Boxer engine has been added to the Symmetrical AWD Subaru Outback range to provide customers more power and more capability.
For over 25 years, the Subaru Outback has delivered impressive innovation, safety, technology, design, and all-terrain capability. Now the all-new turbocharged Subaru Outback AWD Sport XT and Outback AWD Touring XT have been designed to supercharge adventures – with a new 2.4-litre turbocharged horizontally-opposed Boxer engine. A celebration of balance, control, and substance, it also delivers more power and torque for increased acceleration and braked towing capacity of up to 2,400kg.
Subaru Australia’s Managing Director, Blair Read, said: “The Subaru Outback has long held a special place in the heart of generations of Australian adventurers and pride of place in many family driveways.”
“The addition of turbocharged variants, combined with Subaru’s legendary Symmetrical All Wheel Drive and impressive safety, further expands the Outback’s appeal.”
“The Outback truly is the perfect vehicle for discovering Australia with its all-terrain capability, fantastic handling, driving performance and passenger comfort. ”
Enhanced all round performance and capability
Whether getting off road or doing the weekend sport run, the Subaru Outback AWD offers the perfect balance of power and efficiency, for many family adventures.
The latest generation Subaru 2.5-litre direct-injection naturally aspirated engine – which meets the seemingly contrasting demands for fuel efficiency, responsiveness, and sporty on-road performance – delivers 138kW of power at 5800rpm and 245Nm of torque at 3400-4600rpm.
Turbocharged Outback variants benefit from a more powerful 2.4-litre horizontally-opposed DIT Boxer 4-cylinder petrol engine, that delivers a hearty 183kW of power at 5200-6000rpm and 350Nm of torque at 2000-4800rpm.
The 2.4-litre DIT petrol Boxer engine generates powerful torque at low engine speeds, resulting in the turbo boost feeling like it comes on the instant the accelerator pedal is pressed, delivering approximately 22 per cent faster zero to 100km/h acceleration compared to its 2.5-litre direct-injection naturally aspirated counterpart.
Naturally aspirated Outback variants have a combined average fuel consumption of 7.3L/100km compared to 9.0L/100km for turbocharged variants.
Greater towing capacity
Owing to increased torque provided by the turbocharged engine delivered simultaneously to all four wheels by Subaru’s Symmetrical AWD, all-new Subaru Outback AWD Sport XT and AWD Touring XT deliver greater braked towing capacity than naturally aspirated variants, increasing to a maximum of 2,400kg (an increase of 400kg) which is certain to delight adventurous Australians who are keen to explore the country.
Ride and handling
The world-renowned Subaru Global Platform (SGP) and Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive underpin the Subaru Outback AWD, bringing confidence and a comfortable onboard experience for occupants.
Adding to the experience is Subaru’s most advanced X-Mode system yet, making Outback more capable off-road than ever. With an impressive 213mm ground clearance and X-Mode – which controls engine torque and enhances traction control – Subaru Outback AWD is perfect for everyday life as well as off the beaten track adventures.
X-Mode
X-Mode features the following special control mechanisms – engine torque control, transmission control, front and rear axle limited slip function, hill descent control and automatic restore control – that combine to assist drivers with navigating rough road conditions.
X-MODE functions are incorporated in the Centre Information Display (CID) monitor. Operation is made easier through intuitive touchscreen control.
Operating below 40km/hr, dual-mode X-MODE enhances Outback’s AWD off-road performance.
One mode is optimised for snow and dirt, the other for deep snow and mud.
- Snow/dirt mode – Perfect for slippery, snowy roads, black ice, gravel and unpaved surfaces, this mode uses Traction Control.
- Deep snow/mud mode -Perfect for surfaces where the tyres can become partially buried, such as deep snow, mud, sludge and dry dirt. Traction control is turned off, while torque control is activated to quickly generate maximum torque and produce a moderate amount of slippage in the driving wheels. This improves escape performance on road surfaces where tyres can become stuck.
Tailored suspension tune
To suit the 2.4-litre DIT Boxer engine, the damping force of the front and rear dampers, and the spring constant of the front coil springs, have been tuned. This tuning helps deliver both driving stability and ride comfort.
Distinctive exterior differences
Signalling a point of difference, the all-new turbocharged Subaru Outback exclusively features:
- Dual tailpipes to complement the higher performance nature of the vehicle
- Exterior ‘XT’ badge
- LED fog lamps with 6 LEDs to pay homage to Subaru’s six-star constellation emblem whilst also limiting power consumption.
An additional exterior change includes newly designed 18-inch wheels to enhance product styling across the entire MY23 Subaru Outback range.
Spacious interior design
The Subaru Outback’s interior design is a blend of functional beauty and high-end comfort with an active feel and sense of spaciousness.
A key design objective for Outback is to allow and encourage customers to get out and explore. To aid in this, the front seats have been designed with advanced shaping and support to reduce fatigue during long drives.
The Outback AWD features fabric styled seat coverings. To enhance the sporty nature of the Outback AWD Sport and Outback AWD Sport XT and their emphasis on outdoor adventure, water repellent3 (synthetic leather) seat coating has been utilised. For the Outback AWD Touring and Outback AWD Touring XT, sumptuous Nappa leather accented trim has been used, adding a further degree of high-end luxury to the Outback range.
Additionally, tan trim is available as an exclusive option on Outback AWD Touring for $590 MLP.
All Outback variants feature two co-ordinated display screens to provide a full range of information and entertainment for driver and passengers. At the same time essential information is presented to minimise movement of the driver’s line of sight.
Technology and infotainment
Sitting proudly in the centre of the Outback’s dash is a large 11.6″ Full-HD infotainment system display screen.
All Outback variants feature wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, Digital radio1 (DAB+) and Bluetooth wireless technology, with the Outback AWD Sport, Outback AWD Sport XT, Outback AWD Touring and Outback AWD Touring XT all featuring in-built satellite navigation.
Physical buttons such as the climate control panel have been integrated as digital buttons on the display screen, with convenience and operability prioritised through shortcut switches for some frequently used features.
The entire MY23 Symmetrical AWD Subaru Outback range features multiple updates to increase user-friendliness and driver convenience. Added features across the range include:
- Widely used USB Type-C terminal added to front seat USB port/auxiliary input station (replacing one USB Type-A port) which has a rated output of 3.0 A, improving ease-of use and enabling quick charging of tablets and similar devices.
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto enable connectivity while smartphones are inside a pocket or bag; available for the first time in an Australian specification Subaru vehicle.
- Manage Devices setting screen added to the ‘Phone’ tab in ‘settings’ enabling users to select and switch connected smartphones and apps to activate at start-up from a single screen.
- Redesigned 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreenfor improved user friendliness including, new shortcut buttons, and updated climate control buttons and full screen Android Auto.
- Redesigned steering wheel buttons (left and right spoke)and relocation of MID steering wheel buttons.
- Expanded voice command recognitionto include:
- Auto Start Stop
- Lane Departure
- Cruise Control
- High/Medium/Low Fan Speed level settings
- Search for closest location
- Seat heater/seat ventilation settings
- Altered navigation functions to allow address/point of interest searches to now be performed with a single input field.
Safety
The Subaru Outback continues the pursuit of one of Subaru’s most important safety visions yet – working towards zero fatal road accidents in a Subaru vehicle by the year 2030. This vision is underpinned by the four vital safety pillars of Primary, Active, Preventative and Protective safety that work together to achieve Subaru’s holistic approach to automotive manufacturing.
Primary Safety
In Subaru’s design language, Primary Safety is synonymous with ‘visibility’. Subaru believes the early detection of potentially dangerous situations can help prevent accidents, while giving drivers the ability to identify dangers early could result in fewer accidents. That’s why Subaru continues to focus on honing designs that improve driver visibility, while enhancing driver alertness and comfort.
In addition to visibility being a core element of the overall design philosophy, across the Subaru Outback range all variants feature a rear-view reverse camera and Reverse Automatic Braking (RAB).
Active Safety
Subaru’s commitment to Active Safety has created cars engineered for confident driving in all conditions. An integral part of Subaru’s DNA, Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive delivers better grip, sharper steering response, and increased handling stability through balanced weight distribution, with the low height horizontally-opposed Boxer engine, transmission and driveline all being symmetrically positioned on the vehicle centre line.
With Symmetrical AWD, regardless of the type of road surface or the application in which the vehicle is being used, all four wheels are being used to transmit engine drive or braking forces all of the time, providing enhanced capability and safety.
Across the Subaru Outback range, all variants feature Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC), which is comprised of multiple stability and braking technologies, all designed to help vehicle control in unexpected driving conditions. These include, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist, Traction Control System (TCS) and Active Torque Vectoring System.
Preventative Safety
Subaru’s Preventative Safety pillar strives to prevent accidents by proactively detecting potential dangers on the road in advance, using a suite of cutting-edge safety technologies. Subaru technologies not only predict hazards – but also assist the driver in managing them.
Standard across the entire Subaru Outback range, EyeSight is an ever-attentive second pair of eyes that not only provides warnings, braking and steering intervention (which can save lives), but can also significantly reduce the cost and inconvenience of accidents. Subaru Eyesight Assist technologies include:
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Emergency Lane Keep Assist
- Lane Centring Function
- Lane Departure Prevention
- Lane Departure Warning
- Lane Sway Warning
- Lead Vehicle Stay Alert
- Pre-Collision Brake Assist
- Pre-Collision Throttle Management
- Autonomous Emergency Steering
- Brake Light Recognition
- Intelligent Speed Limiter
- Speed Limiter
- Speed Sign Recognition
Subaru’s innovative Driver Monitoring System technology also keeps a watchful eye over the driver to ensure their attention is focused on the road ahead. Across the Subaru Outback range, the Driver Monitoring System features:
- Distraction warning – if the driver continues to face a direction outside of a set range it is presumed as a wandering gaze or distraction. The system then alerts the driver via a buzzer and a display warning.
- Drowsiness warning – if the driver continues to close their eyes, dozing is presumed. Drowsiness level is presumed by calculating the ratio of time the driver’s eyes are closed. Two levels are presumed, drowsy and extremely drowsy.
- Facial recognition- recognises pre-programmed drivers (up to five) and displays a welcome message on the Multi-Information Display unit (MID). The MID content as well as the climate control settings are restored to the driver’s previous use. On the AWD Touring and AWD Touring XT, seat position and door mirror position are also adjusted to the driver’s personal settings.
As a further preventative safety measure, all variants are equipped with Subaru’s Vision Assist. This is one of Subaru’s most impressive safety technologies, which when combined with the forward vision features of EyeSight, enables full perimeter preventative safety features. Vision Assist feature inclusions depend on the variant. Across the Subaru Outback Range, all variants feature:
- Adaptive Driving Beam (ADB)
- Blind Spot Monitor (BSM)
- EyeSight Assist Monitor
- Lane Change Assist (LCA)
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
- Reverse Automatic Braking (RAB)
Outback AWD Sport, Outback AWD Sport XT, Outback AWD Touring and Outback AWD Touring XT add:
- Side View Monitor (SVM)
- Front View Monitor (FVM)
Protective Safety
From the Subaru Global Platform that underpins all new generation Subaru models, to the shock-absorbing ring-shaped passenger safety cell that protects the cabin, this advanced vehicle safety reflects Subaru’s commitment to protecting all road users, while also helping to minimise vehicle damage in the event of a collision.
Across the Subaru Outback range, all variants feature dual front, dual front side, dual curtain, driver’s knee, and front passenger cushion SRS airbags.
| Exterior Colours | Available on the following variants: |
| Sapphire Blue Pearl | Across the range |
| Crystal White Pearl | Across the range |
| Ice Silver Metallic | Across the range |
| Brilliant Bronze Metallic | Outback AWD, Outback AWD Touring, Outback AWD Touring XT |
| Crimson Red Pearl | Outback AWD, Outback AWD Touring, Outback AWD Touring XT |
| Storm Grey Metallic | Outback AWD, Outback AWD Touring, Outback AWD Touring XT |
| Autumn Green Metallic | Across the range |
| Magnetite Grey Metallic | Across the range |
| Crystal Black Silica | Across the range |
Pricing
| Outback AWD | $42,690 |
| Outback AWD Sport | $47,190 |
| Outback AWD Touring | $50,990 |
| Outback AWD Sport XT | $52,190 |
| Outback AWD Touring XT | $55,990 |
All plus on road costs
Warranty
All new MY23 Subaru Outback’s come standard with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty period, 12-months complimentary Subaru Roadside Assistance.