Subaru Outback
The Subaru Outback is as Australian in origin as its name suggests. The model as we know it today finds its roots in the Legacy Wagon (named Liberty in Australia), which evolved in other global regions into the Legacy Outback.
When the SUV arrived in Australia in 1996 the Legacy part was dropped leaving just Outback and the naming tradition continued into almost all other subsequent global introductions.
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Subaru Outback Pricing and Specifications
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Frequently Asked Questions
While the Subaru Outback might not offer the go-anywhere ability of a full-fat 4x4, many owners are surprised at the off-road ability of the model. In addition to its permanent all-wheel drive system, the Outback has 213mm of ground clearance which is above average, while the sophisticated X-Mode traction control system enables the Outback to go further than other less well equipped SUVs and all-wheel drive wagons.
The Subaru Outback range starts at just over $41,000 for the 2.5-litre petrol. At the top of the range the Outback AWD Touring is the most expensive at just under $50,000.
The Subaru Outback has an ingenious roof rack as standard, which allows the mounting bars to be hidden away when not in use and without removing them. Stowed away in the permanently fitted roof rails, the horizontal bars lift and pivot out across the roof and plug securely into the opposite rail. A wide variety of accessories can then be fitted to the bars including a luggage cage or bike rack.
About the Subaru Outback
The Subaru Outback is as Australian in origin as its name suggests. The model as we know it today finds its roots in the Legacy Wagon (named Liberty in Australia), which evolved in other global regions into the Legacy Outback.
When the model arrived in Australia in 1996, however, the Legacy part was dropped leaving just Outback and the naming tradition continued into almost all other subsequent global introductions.
It is not to be confused with the Outback Sport that was a wagon version of the Impreza first offered in the US in the 1990s.
Now in its sixth generation, the Outback has adopted Subaru’s Global Platform (SGP) and, like its closely related Forester sibling, is popular among drivers that want a good balance of on-road manners as well as respectable off-road ability.
The latest Subaru Outback, still more of a high-riding wagon than conventional SUV, was introduced to Australia in 2021 exclusively as a 2.5-litre non-turbo flat-four petrol coupled to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and the company’s proprietary all-wheel-drive system.
It was joined in 2022 by two high-performance XT variants, which borrowed the 2.4-litre turbo engine from the WRX.
While any five-seater SUV could be listed as a rival, about the only true direct rival in concept to the Subaru Outback is Volvo’s V60 Cross Country wagon.