Subaru’s latest Outback is no longer a wagon
Apart from the likes of the Subaru WRX and BRZ, one model that has always appealed to the practical enthusiast is the Outback.
Since 1994, this model has straddle the lines between station wagon and crossover even before the segment officially existed.But with its base, the Legacy, now officially axed, Subaru has raised the roof on its newest generation– quite literally.
With a roofline that is 50.8 mm taller than the previous generation, it is dimensionally more crossover than wagon. Gone are the smooth curved design elements, with boxier styling being the new theme.
The plastic cladding has been toned down, with modern elements such as a larger front grille, split headlights, and a rear light bar with the “Outback” badging proudly displayed up front, with “Subaru” also written on the rear bumper. Wheel sizes range up to 19 inches, and ground clearance on the standard model is 221mm.
The Wilderness gets a unique front grille with “SUBARU” emblazoned, additional underbody protection, unique copper and black accents, 17-inch wheels with all-terrain tires that boost the ground clearance up to 241mm, and the removal of the rear light bar in favor of black cladding.
Of course, the Outback’s signature built-in heavy duty roof rails are still present, capable of carrying up to 363 kg of cargo.
The dashboard sees one of the biggest and most requested changes to the Subaru lineup ever since they adopted the portrait touch screen: the return of physical climate control buttons. It’s matched with a 12.1-inch horizontal infotainment with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.
This makes it nothing like other current Subaru models out there.
Interior materials also range from leather to water-repellant fabrics for the Wilderness with new low-fatigue seats, and improved sound insulation. Because of the taller roof, cargo capacity is increased up to 979.7L, 56L larger vs the previous generation.
The latest iteration of EyeSight is also found here, adding three forward facing cameras and radar sensors, with improvements to the adaptive cruise control, with Emergency Stop Assist with Safe Lane Selection as the newest feature.
Engine choices include a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter flat-four with 180 horsepower and 241 Nm of torque, or a turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-four with 260 horsepower and 376 Nm of torque (XT and Wilderness only), mated to a CVT and all-wheel drive with X-Mode terrain management as standard.
North America will be getting the vehicle first in late 2025. With the Philippines still not having the facelift yet, do you think Motor Image Pilipinas (the official distributor of Subaru in the Philippines) will jump straight to this new model?
Photos from Subaru
