All-new Subaru Outback slated for 2020

• Next Subaru Outback will be all-new
• Timing isn't locked in, but expect it in late 2020
• The Outback is one of Subaru Australia's best sellers

Hard on the heels of the all-new Subaru Liberty reveal in the US – and the news that it’s unlikely to return to Australia – comes word that an all-new Subaru Outback is likely to land in Australia in 2020.

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The current Outback went on sale in 2014, making it Subaru's oldest model

The current Outback is one of Subaru’s most popular SUVs, with the five-seat, five-door station wagon outselling the Liberty – upon which it’s based – by nearly 10 to one. It sits in the large SUV category, which puts it up against a myriad of competitors including the Toyota Prado and Kluger, Mazda’s CX-8 and CX-9, the Holden Acadia and Ford’s Endura.

Given its ‘wagon on stilts’ form, though, it’s more closely related to cars like Volkswagen’s Passat Alltrack.

WhichCar understands that while timing for the new Subaru Outback hasn’t yet been locked down, it’s likely to make an appearance in Australia late in 2020.

Subaru USA spilled the beans on the forthcoming Outback which, like the current car, will use Liberty underpinnings and powertrains.

This means that the Outback will now switch to the company’s billion-dollar Subaru Global platform, which also underpins the XV, Forester and Impreza models. It should make the new five-seat, four-door wagon lighter and stiffer, with improved steering and a lower centre of gravity.

The new platform also allows Subaru to add more driver safety aids in the form of an updated version of its clever EyeSight stereo camera-based system.

The EyeSight suite of driver safety aids now includes a lane centring function, forward blind-spot monitoring and a camera behind the steering wheel aimed at the driver to assess fatigue levels.

Inside, the Outback is likely to incorporate a new design that centres on a huge 11.6-inch vertical tablet-style multimedia screen, a la the Legacy/Liberty.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone mirroring are supported, and while many of the car’s functions are accessed through the screen, it’s great to see an external volume control and easy-to-access climate control switches located on the dashboard.

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New Subaru Legacy/Liberty multimedia display is likely to make it into the Outback