You can’t help saying it: yes, this is the new Subaru Outback with the WRX engine. Even though that’s not a focus for Subaru at all with this new model and actually, it gives the wrong impression about the character of the car.
But it is technically correct. The Outback XT replaces the 2.5-litre naturally aspirated engine of the standard models with a detuned version of the WRX’s 2.4-litre turbo mill. That’s a handy 46kW/105Nm extra over the norm-core version, although still 18kW shy of the smaller, lighter WRX (same torque though).
What you’re getting for an extra $8000 in the XT is not a fizzy, fire-breathing, rally ready version of the brand’s popular SUV. You’re getting an Outback with lots more refinement, lots more mid-range muscle and a whole lot of quiet confidence.
Actually, you’re also getting handed the bill for the government’s Clean Car Standard (CCS), which Subaru NZ boss Wallis Dumper is happy to say he’s passing onto the customer straight away, in addition to the Clean Car Discount fine the XT cops over and above its purchase price.
With no EVs in its range for now and a lot of relatively large-capacity ICE cars, Subaru NZ is one of those brands that will struggle to meet the government’s stipulated CCS CO2 averages in the short term, which in turn means growing fines for the distributor. Unfortunately that’s now your problem as a customer, according to Dumper: “The reality is that those Subaru customers who were lucky enough to get an Outback XT at $62,990 [last year]… truly got a bargain, as pricing now starts at $67,990, which now incorporates the CCS fee into the recommended retail price.
“The CCS impact will hit these cars year after year from now on.”
Not exactly a cheery way to make the XT’s acquaintance, but rest assured: this is a truly accomplished and endearing (if ever-more-expensive) SUV. The car you see here is the “entry” XT, which basically mirrors the non-turbo X with its bright green detailing, water-repellent seat fabric and green interior stitching. Basically, if you like a blacked-out look with pops of green, this is the one for you.
There’s also a $71,990 XT Touring with a lot more brightwork and Nappa leather, which you could see as a replacement for the previous-generation six-cylinder Touring: a little less power but the same torque.
With either of the above, you’re getting to 100km/h more than two seconds quicker than the non-turbo Outback and putting 400kg more towing ability into the picture (2400kg).
It’s all delivered in a velvet glove. The throttle and transmission response is soft from standstill, after which the power and torque is served up in a smooth wave. The former is no doubt quite handy in heavier towing situations.
With the extra pace taken as read, ride and handling are as brilliant as ever. The Outback has always offered a great blend of supple suspension with controlled cornering. It initially feels quite soft and understeer-prone at speed, but you soon learn it responds beautifully to the right combination of steering and throttle. It’s one of the softest SUVs, but also feels like one of the most engaging once you get to know it.
That’s slightly undermined by the safety package, which combines some great features via the EyeSight dual-camera system with some forward-thinking but slightly annoying ones, like fussy steering assistance and a Driver Monitoring System (DMS) that includes facial recognition. The DMS can automatically adjust the driving position and settings for up to five people, which is genius; but it’s also always watching and seems quite stern about the driver looking away for a few moments.
The Outback is a long-standing master of off-tarmac driving. Not a hard-core off-roader, but a crossover with substantial ground clearance (213mm) and, in this latest model, dual-function X-Mode that includes deep snow and mud settings.
The XT has the more functional feel of the two turbo models, but one thing the current generation Outback has brought to Subaru is a properly polished cabin, no matter which variant. The build quality and materials are impressive and the large 11.6in portrait infotainment screen combines a number of functions with ergonomic good sense.
Outback was more of a medium crossover when it was launched a quarter of a century ago and it’s easy to still think of it like that. But in fact it’s a truly large SUV: 4870mm long, with loads of space for five (no third-row option though) and 522 litres of bootspace.
The XT feels less like a sports iteration of the Outback and more like one that’s been to finsishing school for three years: incremental improvements in performance and refinement layered on until it was… just right. It pretty much is, as long as you can accept the extra 1.5 litres of fuel it consumes per 100km over the naturally aspirated model and the fact it needs 95 octane. It has the WRX engine, you know.
SUBARU OUTBACK XT
ENGINE: 2.4-litre turbo-petrol four
POWER: 183kW/350Nm
GEARBOX: Continuously variable transmission, AWD
0-100KM/H: 7.5 seconds
CONSUMPTION: 9.0L/100km, CO2 204g/km
PRICE: $67,990