NEW YORK MOTOR SHOW: Subaru's next Outback

Subaru Australia has big plans for the fifth-generation Outback, revealed to day at the New York motor show.

The new Outback will arrive Down Under early next year, around the same time as the next Liberty sedan, which will only be available in sedan form.

Hence, the Outback will be a key model for Subaru Australia, which it believes offers more potential sales growth than the Liberty.

“Of Liberty and Outback, the one I believe has the most opportunity for growth is Outback,” said Subaru Australia Managing Director Nick Senior.

“It is in a strong segment -- Australians love SUVs -- the new Outback addresses a number of areas where I think it ticks the box.”

Senior said the axing of the Liberty wagon -- which was virtually non-existent in the US, where Subaru sells 9000-10,000 Outbacks a month – makes the new Outback a more important model than ever.

“Without a Liberty wagon going forward, that is an important market for us, to have an option that there is Outback wagon there for Liberty buyers,” he said.

While the current Outback is priced from $38,990, Senior indicated its successor will be more keenly priced and equipped.

“Specification and price-wise I think is where we will look closely at the new Outback,” he said, adding that Subaru Australia will promote the new model more heavily.

“I think a lot of it is with us. If we are guilty of anything, it is that we haven’t paid enough time and attention to Outback over the last couple of years.

“Indeed, the last five years we have been too focussed on XV and Forester. We have been aware of that and we have probably said ‘OK the current Outback volume is about 250 to 300 per month; we will sustain that over the life of this model but let’s put together a plan to see what we can grow Outback into’.

“And the pricing and specification, the model walk and everything on Outback is where the critical area of the launch is going to focus.”

Senior indicated the new Outback will continue to be available with 2.5-litre four-cylinder and 3.6-litre six-cylinder petrol boxer engines, as well as a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel boxer.

But he indicated there will be less model range complexity.

“We are starting with a clean sheet of paper. Get the model walk right, get the pricing right, do we need as many models? Is the focus on four cylinders or six cylinders or diesels? So there is upside with Outback we just have to make sure we can capitalise on.

“Six is still a very small percentage of sales at the moment so one of things at the moment is ‘OK, how do we grow that? Have we stressed the fact it can tow a reasonable amount?’

“We targeted towing specifically a few years ago with the six and I think we need to get back to demonstrate Outback is an alternative for boat owners, or small camper vans and caravans. This is Easter and we see plenty of people driving up and down with caravans and boats. We want some of that.”

The Subaru Australia boss said his company would pitch the Mk5 Outback to buyers of Holden and Ford wagons, as well as its traditional crossover clientele.

“As we see less and less wagons and less and less locally manufactured wagons, obviously that gives us an opportunity to put our hand up and say ‘commodore wagon owners, previous Falcon wagon and Territory even, you don’t have a replacement, think of us’. And that’s what we want to certainly be considered.

“Outback is the original crossover as well, and at times I think we have tended to think it is more a passenger car than an SUV. OK, a crossover is all about being both things, so having the versatility of an SUV but the drivability of a passenger car. That’s the essence of Outback and the DNA of Outback and that’s what we have got to talk a lot more about.”

Emerging in US-spec form in New York, the fifth Outback since 1995 comes with a sleeker new look, a higher-quality cabin and new safety technologies including Subaru’s latest-generation EyeSight driver assist system with Pre-Collision Braking Control and Adaptive Cruise Control.

Trademark design cues like large foglights, roof rails and a raised ride height continue, while a bumper-integrated hexagonal grille and ‘hawk-eye’ headlights mark it as part of the current Subaru model range. The rear combination lights share the motif of the headlights, while LED tail-lights are fitted at the rear.

Subaru says itr has delivered dramatic improvements in interior quality and comfort, while also making the cockpit sportier and higher-tech via an upgraded infotainment system.

There’s a dual-gauge instrument cluster highlighted by a large colour LCD panel and blue-ringed dials, new multifunction three-spoke and an optional centre panel housing a wide, flat central display with intuitive touch control.

As with the new Liberty on which it’s based, Subaru says passenger shoulder, elbow and rear leg room are increased, while the A-pillar is moved forward to expand the cabin area and front quarter windows and door-mounted wing mirrors are added to increase forward visibility.

Tie-down hooks are added to the crossbar-type roof rails and a step fitted to the side sill to provide a foothold when loading bicycles or other items on the roof. There’s also an optional powered tailgate.

Also like the Liberty, the body, chassis, steering, suspension and brakes have been upgraded to offer ‘class-leading performance”, while new technologies include Active Torque Vectoring, X-Mode for the all-wheel drive system and an electric park brake.

Subaru says a 10.6 per cent reduction in wind resistance was achieved by improving airflow over the rear of the body. The new Outback measures 4817mm long, 1840mm wide and 1680mm high.

Mid-range torque is increased in the 2.5-litre FB25 boxer engine, which now produces 130kW at 5800rpmand 236Nm at 4000rpm. The naturally aspirated 3.6-litre EZ six-cylinder boxer delivers 191kW at 6000rpm and 335Nm at 4400rpm.

Both engines are matched as standard with an overauled version of Subaru’s Lineartronic CVT auto and both petrol models ride on 18-inch alloys.