2020 Subaru Outback XT revealed with turbo power

Subaru’s new Outback has hit the stage at the New York auto show, showing off a leap in technology and even smarter packaging.

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Built on the Japanese brand’s Subaru Global Platform which first debuted in the Impreza before underpinning the new XV and Forester, the Outback, like those models, should benefit from improvements to NVH, ride and handling, and all-round refinement. Standing taller, with 220mm of ground clearance, the Outback will also be even better equipped to tackle off-road tracks.

Under the bonnet, the Outback will see petrol turbocharged induction for the first time in ten years, in the form of a 2.4-litre boxer turbo producing 194kW at 5600rpm and 375Nm from 2000rpm. It’s reserved for top-spec XT models in the US, and Australia will likely adopt the same model hierarchy when it arrives here by 2020. Other models are powered by an updated 2.5-litre four pot that likely spells to end the six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. Both new engines are mated to a CVT transmission and all-wheel-drive system.

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Dimensionally, the new Outback has grown larger and features a roomier cabin with greater cargo capacity, able to swallow over two cubic metres volume with the rear seats folded flat. The front of cabin is much more spectacular than the current-gen model, with a large 11.3-inch portrait touchscreen a feature of the dash, and technology further bolstered by the latest Subaru EyeSight automated safety technology, including adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist and driver distraction and drowsiness monitoring.

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Beyond a slightly taller stance and the show car’s black pack styling, the Outback remains a familiar looking model. Subaru Australia has not confirmed timing and specifications for the local market, but expect an on-sale date near the tail end of this year.

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