Is 2021 Subaru Outback a Big Leap Forward?

The 2021 Subaru Outback is all new from the ground up, and is imported by logistics giant, Inchcape.

It sports a new platform, new look, new interior, and a mostly-new engine. Engine and transmissions choices are now limited to a single option.

Subaru thought long and hard about one of their best-known cars, and the new model is a huge step up in features and design. Since the dumping of the slow selling Liberty (AKA Legacy) recently, Outback is now their only large car with. She is a big lassie (1661kg) that sits 213mm off the ground. It has symmetrical AWD, and a ballsy 2.5 boxer. Gone is the flat-six and diesel, leaving just the 2.5 non-turbo boxer.

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You can have any tranny you like, as long as it is a CVT.

There are now 3 models, Outback, Sport, and Touring. In case you’re wondering, Touring is a coachbuilder, not a travel company. In the 80’s Ghia was all the rage until it was bought by Ford, but I digress:

Outback Brochure HERE: All-new-Outback-Brochure

Above: This Week 2021 Subaru Outback Review

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ABOVE: 2021 Subaru Outback

The Looks:

The team at Subaru did a decent job of jollying up an aging face. it had become a little jowly over the years and although it may not look it, the new model is more than a nip and tuck. It starts with an new platform that will feature in Subarus for the next decade or so. It can take a cornucopia of drivelines, so a hybrid or EV Outback might well be in our future.

There is a Von Trapp-like familiarity the range, with all Subarus having instantly recognisable grille.

I love a good bit of LED lighting, and Outback doesn’t disappoint. Up front, there are fancy bendy-twisty lights that change direction with the steering wheel input. I love gadgets, but these are more than just frippery. At night, a country road lights up, and those blind corners are no longer blind. Lights dip respectfully as traffic appears, to reignite once the way is clear again. As you go into a corner, they turn to light the way.

18” wheels are new, but unremarkable.

The tailgate is powered, and the doors open wide, as they do with most Subarus. The side profile looks slim, yet chunky. Beefy roof racks look like they could cope with having a Mini strapped to them, and the wheel arches have big deep plastic mouldings echoing the off-roading credentials to which she aspires.

You don’t realise how big outback is until you’re next to it. We’ll include a full list of specifications HERE:

Inside:

Subaru is doing what Subaru does best: understated elegance.

Thoughtful touches include trinket trays above the glove box, with another on the passenger’s side of the centre console. The driver could snag that if his phone is on CarPlay. The tray in the centre console is a bit hard to use once a couple of devices are plugged into the twin USB ports.

There is heating for four bottoms, with the front pews also having powered adjustment. The driver is even posher, with a lumbar button.

While the look is distinctly Subaru, a subtle new direction comes in the form of an 11.2” tablet on the centre stack. It replaces the previous infotainment system, usurping the driver’s display and 3^rd , high-set, centre display functions in the process. It has taken a bow, and neatly tied up all ancillary functions in one beautifully designed system. No longer do you have to search across 3 screens for the setting you want to change.

The 4.2” LCD in the driver’s instruments still has fuel usage and some safety displays.

The tablet has 2 separate “Car” menus, which is my only critique. Stick ‘em in one place for god’s sake!

Dual zone climate control has fixed buttons for oft-used functions, and a menu for the rest. Temperature retains physical buttons, but there are repeated in the climate menu. The centre console is also clear of most controls.

Forester’s driver recognition system has been shoehorned in, and will set your seats and mirrors in the preferred place. Although there are 2 “memory” buttons, they are over-ridden by the facial system.

A canny observer will spy slimmer Gen-4 “Eyesight” cameras. They are now mere shadows of their former selves. The stereo cameras scan ahead and provide Outback with all manner of useful data, some of which is then supplied to the driver.

AEB uses the cameras, and is assisted by radar for reverse protection. Outback will chuck out the anchors, no matter what direction your heading in.

The steering wheel is festooned with backlit buttons.

Cruise control and audio feature highly, with further buttons for some of the driver-assist functions, including the heated steering wheel.

The Drive:

Outback sits solidly on the road, yet keeps a light, ehterial feeling to the handling.

Although this weekend was spent in leafy southern beaches, that doesn’t mean we didn’t give her a flogging. I popped in to see an old mate who has been driving Scoobs since he could walk. Country folk are like that.

It’s a couple of hours in the saddle to get there, and would have been lonely were it not for the CarPlay keeping my company. Outback felt light in corners, with the smart cruise control making light work of the highway stints. Lane centering can be intrusive, but is handy once you get used to it.

I pulled out to overtake, after flicking the system into S mode. There was a hullabaloo from under the bonnet because the CVT has no gears as such. Revs rose to a less-than-thrilling crescendo only to fall dramatically as the speed was reached. 138kw is enough to get the job done, but there is little left in the kitty for emergencies.

I’m not sure how it would cope when loaded to the gunnels.

On the farm, we took Outback up a damp grass slope, and the odd muddy track. It coped by engaging the fancy traction systems. We took Jimmie’s ancient Brumby out for a bit of a lark, and it was an eye opener to compare an old Subaru with a spanking new one.

I like the safety gear too. There is a lot to talk about there, so see the specifications sheet for detail. Eyesight is a suite of features using radar, sonar, and stereo cameras working together to provide a cocoon around the occupants. Only the driver is really aware of the active blind spot monitor and lane centering. Subtle shifts of the steering wheel can be felt, that become more insistent as the system tries to compensate for what is sees as driver inconsistency. When things really things go tits-up, there are 8 airbags as a last resort.

It is no substitute for good driving and is an aid only, not something you should depend on.

The sound system with Harmon Kardon speakers is comforting, with beautiful tones at all volumes. The cabin is bathed in gentle, soothing music and light, to highlight internal features and controls.

I thought the central menu system might be hard to use when on the move, but once you get used to it, it is a doddle.

I didn’t need it, but there is a full-size spare, as there is in all non-hybrid Scoobs. You can tow 2000kg, so a small tailer or camper will make your weekend a little bit more enticing. A couple will find plenty of space even with their mates in the back.

Finally, the cabin is as quiet as a lounge room. Suspension keeps the ride supple, and passengers feel well supported by comfortable seats, efficient climate control, and a top-notch entertainment system. The driver can focus on driving while Outback takes care of the safety. Symmetrical AWD keeps tabs on tricky grip situations, and the engine and CVT keep fuel usage way down.

Conclusion:

Outback is an impressive wagon that can go most places it’s owner will want to go.

The cabin is spacious and well thought out, and even base models have a shedload of gear. Pricing is good for a full-sized car, and includes a 5-year/unlimited km warranty for good measure.

What I like most of all is that Outback is an SUV that drives exactly like a normal passenger car, because it is a normal passenger car.

Outback Brochure:All-new-Outback-Brochure

Outback Full Specifications: Outback MY21 Specs and Standard Features

Price: