The Subaru Outback is Australia’s third most popular SUV, yet while having a large amount of ground clearance, it looks more like a traditional station wagon than an SUV.
While V8-powered Commodore wagons are no longer produced, the ordinary mid-sized and large SUVs and the few still-existing wagons of this size frequently provide a more potent engine option.
The sixth-generation Outback didn’t have this option when it was introduced in Australia in 2021. The Outback was introduced in this country only with a naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine, even though the predecessor had an ainder engine and an optional turbo-diesel four. In North America, a turbocharged engine was readily accessible, but it never made the journey… until today. The well-known
It comes in Sports and Touring versions, and the only things that set them apart are their badging, dual exhaust outlets, and six blink-and-you’ll-miss-them LEDs in the fog lights. For ride comfort and off-road capability, Subaru resisted the urge to add wheels larger than 18-inch alloy wheels, probably for the best.
Sales of the Outback didn’t appear to be negatively impacted by the lack of a more potent engine, but the new turbo option is a welcome addition to the lineup. Subaru said it should contribute to the gradual increase in Outback sales; the old six-cylinder model accounted for between 15 and 20% of the line’s sales. Subaru anticipates the turbo-proportion four to be higher.
What is the price of the Subaru Outback XT?
Expenses start at $52,190 for the Sport and $55,990 for the Touring; the new XT Turbo versions are $5000 more expensive than the comparable 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated vehicle. On-road expenses are not included in the prices.
Price of the 2023 Subaru Outback:
- Outback AWD: $42,690
- Outback AWD Sport: $47,190
- Outback AWD Touring: $50,990
- Outback AWD Sport XT: $52,190
- Outback AWD Touring XT: $55,990
All prices exclude on-road costs
The Volkswagen Passat Alltrack, which uses a formula quite similar to the Outback, is the apparent competition for this vehicle. It costs $50,790 before on-road expenses for the 162TSI version and $62,790 before on-road fees for the 162TSI Premium version.
Whether you compare the Outback to crossovers like the Hyundai Santa Fe or station wagons like the Mazda 6 and Skoda Superb ultimately depends on your priorities. Whether you reach the Outback to crossovers like the Hyundai Santa Fe or station wagons like the Mazda 6 and Skoda Superb ultimately depends on your preferences.
How does the interior of the Subaru Outback XT look?
We tested the normally aspirated and turbocharged XT Sport and Touring variants.No of the model; the Outback boasts a well-designed cabin. An 11.4-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen infotainment system that now supports wireless smartphone mirroring dominates the dashboard.
One of the USB-A outlets at the foot of the centre stack has been replaced by a USB-C socket. The steering wheel design for 2023 is also a little bit cleaner, but in typical Subaru fashion, it still has many buttons, including those for changing drive modes.
Hard-to-fault material quality still exists. There is welcome leatherette cushioning on the edges of the centre console, and the door tops and much of the dash are finished in soft-touch trim, except the area above the centre stack and the lower reaches.
Sport variants have distinctive synthetic leather upholstery that is weather-resistant. Even though they feel strange to the touch, the seats are just as comfy as the soft leather-upholstered benches in the Touring.
Ample storage is provided in the cabin, including bottle hooks in the doors that take 1L bottles, a sizable centre console bin, a place to put your sunglasses, and a practical rubberized shelf on the passenger’s side dashboard. Although it’s not quite big enough for most phones, a little crevice is underneath the USB outlets at the foot of the centre stack.
Generally speaking, the infotainment system is pretty snappy. Thanks to the vast portrait display, it has largely replaced conventional climate controls while still keeping them readily accessible. There are still used hard buttons for de-misters and temperature control, though.
Voice commands may also manage climate control. The satellite navigation system occupies a sizable portion of the screen, has an easy-to-use interface, and alerts you about speed traps.
Less striking is the instrument cluster. The 4.2-inch display panel appears a little too crowded, with the posted speed limit getting buried among other white writing of a similar size. You can see why this family wagon is favoured by entering the back. Although it isn’t a perfectly flat floor, there isn’t much of a driving line hump. Thus, leg room isn’t reduced.
Even with the bit of encroachment from the Touring’s single-pane sunroof, the rear bench is supportive and comfy, and there is ample space in all directions.
Back here, the material quality is also excellent, and there are two USB-A ports in addition to a fold-down centre armrest. Moreover, there are two outboard ISOFIX anchor points and three top-tether anchor points for child seats.
With the back seats folded down, the boot space, which is 522 L, increases to 12 L. The base and Sport models have 1783 L of space measured to the ceiling, while the Touring has 1711 L.
What’s inside the hood?
The base 2.5-litre four-cylinder Boxer engine for the Outback remains unchanged until 2023. It generates 245Nm of torque between 3400 and 4600 rpm and 138kW of power at 5800 rpm. The 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder Boxer engine used in the Outback XT has been bored but retains the same stroke as the one used in the WRX. It generates 350Nm of torque between 2000 and 4800 rpm and 183kW of power between 5200 and 6000 rpm, the same torque as the WRX but with 19 fewer kilowatts.
As a point of comparison, the 3.6-litre six-cylinder engine in the prior Outback generation produced 191kW (at 6000rpm) and the same 350Nm, but at a higher 4400rpm.
At 3600rpm, the previous 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine produced 110kW and 350Nm (between 1600 and 2800 rpm). The VW Passat Alltrack, the primary challenger to the Outback, has a 2.0-litre turbo four that delivers 162kW and 350Nm. The engine in the XT is different from the engine in the basic Outback, but both have continuously variable transmissions.
The Outback’s braked towing capacity has been increased from 2000kg to 2400kg, making it the best value ever. The range’s maximum unbraked towing capability is 750 kg.
With the Atmo engine, the combined cycle claim is 7.3L/100km, and with the turbo engine, it is 9L/100km. The latter is more fuel-efficient than the original six, but only slightly; the combined cycle claim for the 3.6 was 9.9L/100km.
The Subaru Outback XT’s driving characteristics.
Subaru provided both the Atmo and turbo engines for evaluation on the launch. In urban driving, the ATM engine looks eager enough, with the CVT helping to get the most out of the machine. With steps that are preprogrammed to resemble those of an automatic transmission, the transmission also avoids the worst aspects of some CVTs’ rubber-band-style droning operation.
But if you take it somewhere with a steeper incline, the Atmo Outback loses its steam. Climbing slopes seem laborious, and you may occasionally stand on one foot. As a result, the Boxer engine may get quite loud.
One can only imagine how it would feel with a large family and all of their belongings aboard if that is how it feels with a single average-sized human aboard. It’s a breath of fresh air to get inside the turbocharged XT. The new engine offers the Outback the power it has always deserved.
Although it doesn’t feel like a rocket ship, there is seamless thrust as the revs are reduced. This engine feels much more refined because you don’t have to exert as much effort. With the added power, hills are easily climbed, and this long-distance tourer is even better.
The Outback XT’s mechanical components are unchanged save for the different powertrain, arguably a significant modification. The front springs and dampers have been adjusted to consider the turbo’s improved towing capacity. Still, aside from power delivery, it would be difficult to tell the two vehicles apart dynamically.
Whatever is powering the Outback always seems stable and poised without appearing excessively athletic. The steering could use a little more weight and feel, and switching to Sport doesn’t improve things. Despite this, it doesn’t seem bare or excessively light, and manoeuvring this large vehicle is surprisingly simple.
Excellent body control and ride comfort. The Outback efficiently handled potholes and other flaws as we drove on remote roads that had last been renovated when Keating was in Kirribilli. It feels securely fastened and free of any unwanted float. However, we should point out that several of the testers present had their tires inflated to pressures of more than 47 psi.
The Outback has level 2 autonomous driving capabilities that are highly competitive on the highway thanks to its adaptive cruise control and lane-centring features. A leading vehicle departure alarm is another excellent addition, in case you are unaware that the car in front of you is moving.
There is a slight wind whistle at highway speeds, but the Outback is silent otherwise. We travelled at 2000 rpm in the XT at 110 km/h, and the cabin relaxed. To show off the capabilities of the Outback and its X-Mode, some minor off-roading was also a part of the launch event.
Despite its rugged moniker, you might not think of the Outback as an off-road vehicle. Although we wouldn’t use it to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, it has a competitive 213mm of ground clearance, 40mm more than a Passat Alltrack, and capable, user-friendly off-road driving modes.
Two X-Modes are available at speeds under 40 km/h: one for snow and dirt, which limits power and increases traction, and the other for deep snow and mud, which gives you maximum strength and turns off traction control to help you escape sticky situations. At the touchscreen’s top, switching between various settings is simple.
A relatively simple hill descent control operates at up to 20 km/h and is used by the brake and accelerator pedals. In 2023, X-Mode will get a self-resume mode that eliminates needing a button press to get it back to operational speed.
X-Mode is a limited-slip differential utilizing the Outback’s ABS module and the Vehicle Dynamics Control system. The Outback has active torque vectoring, which allows for individual wheel braking.
We saw just how helpful X-Mode was during one more difficult hill climb. One wheel of the Outback in front was protruding into the air and spinning wildly. Power was reallocated when the driver switched to X-Mode, allowing the car to climb the incline without interruption.
Out on the (country) road, we discovered that the LED headlights provided adequate illumination, while the automatic high-beam occasionally showed its lack of intelligence. Instead of navigating through sub-menus in 2023, you can add a shortcut button to the infotainment home page for the auto hold feature.
Also, with a relatively smooth calibration, you can create a shortcut for the automated stop/start system, which is ultimately less unpleasant than in certain manufacturers.
What do you get?
Outback AWD features:
- Wireless 11.6-inch infotainment system with a vertical touchscreen Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
- 4.2-inch journey planner
- digital radio DAB+
- Cloth furniture
- mirrors with body colours
- Crossbars built into roof rails
- Grey alloy 18-inch wheels
- 18-inch replacement wheel
- Dual-zone climate control shift paddles
- 6-speaker audio setup
- four cargo hooks in the trunk
- Autonomous windshield wipers
- rear-view mirror with automatic dimming
AWD Sport XT and Outback AWD Sport add:
- Upholstery is made of synthetic leather that repels water
- front chairs with heat
- Rear outboard heated seats
- cameras with front- and side-views
- with dark exterior accents
- exterior and interior accents in green
- automatic power tailgate
- Navigation using satellite
- 18-inch dark metallic alloy wheels
AWD Touring XT and Outback AWD Touring add:
- 9-speaker Sound system with CD player from Harman Kardon
- Nappa leather for furniture
- front chairs with vents
- Driver’s seat thigh support extender with manual adjustment
- automatic sunroof
- Warming the steering wheel
- crossbars built into the silver roof rails
- alloy 18-inch wheels with a glossy finish
The Subaru Outback XT: Is it secure?
Based on testing done in 2021, the Subaru Outback has a five-star ANCAP safety certification.
It achieved 88% for protecting adult occupants, 91% for protecting children, 84% for protecting vulnerable road users, and 96% for providing safety assistance.
Typical safety gear consists of the following:
- AEB (forward and reverse) (forward and reverse)
- bicycle and pedestrian detection
- Junction support
- Emergency autonomous steering
- Blind-spot observation
- Alert for rear cross-traffic
- Lane departure warning
- Lane-keeping aid
- Lane symmetry
- recognizing traffic signs
How much does it cost to operate a Subaru Outback XT?
The Outback is protected with a five-year, unlimited-mile guarantee and one year of free roadside assistance. Service intervals for the Outback are every 12 months or 12,500 miles, whichever comes first.
The standard engine’s first five services are capped at $370,91, $636,98, $379,36, $888,62, $398,77, or $2674.64 over five years.
They are limited in XT models to $376.61, $518.40, $460.15, $819.68, and $404.47, or $2579.31. Over five years, servicing the turbo will cost less than a Passat Alltrack ($2800).
