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Subaru Outback: automatic option for diesel SUV

SUBARU OUTBACK
By David Zalstein |
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The 2013 Subaru Outback will become the first diesel-powered model in Subaru Australia’s history to come with the option of an automatic transmission.

Subaru has confirmed the upcoming Outback 2.0 Diesel will be offered with the Japanese brand’s Lineartronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), heeding calls from customers for a self-shifting gearbox, particularly in rural and regional areas.

It is expected to go on sale in the first quarter of 2013 with a price premium over the six-speed manual variants, which are currently priced from $36,490 for the Outback 2.0D and $40,990 for the 2.0D Premium.

Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior said, “The CVT transmissions in our petrol cars are a huge hit, typified by new XV and Impreza, so we can only see good things for Outback auto diesel”.

While diesels make up to 20 per cent of Forester and Outback sales, the auto diesel range is limited exclusively to the Outback at this stage, with no announcement of an automatic for the diesel-powered Forester. Fans of the Forester will likely have to wait until the release of the all-new model – due in 2013 – to get their hands on a diesel auto variant.

Click here for CarAdvice’s Subaru Outback Review.

Click here for CarAdvice’s Subaru Forester Review.


 
  • Johnson

    Welcome to the 21st century Subaru!

    • Sumpguard

         …and more sales as a result. They once had a very loyal following of light van towers in the grey army. Now they might get some of them back!!

    • Gjdfrehgr

      if only they could bring their styling in to this centuary

  • davie

    I imagine that the challenge here was ensuring the CVT can reliably handle the diesel’s 350NM of torque. Hope that they haven’t just knee-capped the engine CPU to limit to a lower torque output (as was done in the x-trail)

  • Symo

    Love the CVT in my MY11 Outback, and vowed that my next car would be another Outback (if it is as good as the current model) as long as in was Auto Diesel. Looks like I am upgrading!

    • Able

      Yours must be black.

      • Noddy

        Black…is a state of mind….and a feeling…as well as a car colour.

        • John

           ”Is it because I is black?”

          For God’s sake grow up Noddy.

          • Noddy

            I don’t understand, you’re insulting me. I was being reflective.

  • zaq

    Hmmm. One of the worlds lowest output per litre diesels and an auto. I suspect it may have lots of “grey army” appeal, but lack real world performance and economy.

  • neutralman

    Japanese manufacturers should borrow Hyundai/Kia diesel for best cc/output ratio.

    • Noddy

      Japanese manufacturers have bigger problems than comparing willies.

      • Johnson

        I have seen many internet videos and the last thing a Japanese man wants to do is compare willies.

    • Noddy

      Japanese manufacturers have bigger problems than comparing willies.

  • D987

    This couldn’t come quick enough for Subaru.

  • D987

    This couldn’t come quick enough for Subaru.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Russ-Wollman/100002577986439 Russ Wollman

    Man alive. Lot of complaints from you Ozguys. We’d love to have that diesel Stateside.

    • Dave S

      it seems over here people complain if the car is too big or that it doesn’t have a diesel. having a diesel does not fix everything.

    • Mr Plow

      Us “OZguys” are justified to complain when we pay so much more for cars than you guys “Stateside”.

  • Sebastian, Style Messiah

    About time Subaru! Now, fix the awful styling of the Liberty and Forester, include squeaks and rattles in your warranty and make your diesels cheap to maintain… Eg, not charging $7k for a DPF that has a life of around 180kms… If you do that… Sign me up!

  • 7u

    I don’t think the average driver really cares about diesel..

    Diesel models of every car are only bought by the people who specifically want diesel..

    Excluding commercial vehicles ofcoarse..

  • Phil

    Why can’t people just drive the manual?

    “heeding calls from customers for a self-shifting gearbox particularly in rural and regional areas”………
    Why? You’d think that in rural areas there’d be even less desire for a auto considering they’d hardly be getting stuck in stop/start traffic – and with 350NM from 1800-2400rpm the engine is so flexible you hardly need to change gear anyway.

  • ScottT

    hate autos, should be banned, learn how to drive a real car……..

    • Gimp

      Tell that to people who cannot drive a manual due to physical disabilities moron.

      • Sumpguard

           Not to mention the myriad of heavy vehicle drivers (up to 16 speed crunch boxes)  that are sick to death of changing gears by the time they get back into a passenger car and who are some of the best drivers on our roads!

           They deserve the break!!

        • Legnab

          And take the most drugs .

      • Sebastian, Style Messiah

        I have a disability and can drive a manual… Problem is I keep hitting things… Including morons.

      • Sebastian, Style Messiah

        I have a disability and can drive a manual… Problem is I keep hitting things… Including morons.

      • Phil

        Wow, so what do we have here?

        Around %90 of the Australian car buying population has a physical disability? Dam, we better rebuild all our carparks then, the typical carpark only has about %1 of parking spaces dedicated to the disabled.

    • Turbo99

      You might as well hate automatic choke, auto ABS, auto traction control, auto ESP/DSC, auto radar cruise control, auto climate control, auto car radio volume control, auto wipers, auto lights, auto etc …

  • Turbo99

    Repeat after moi …. “Diesel saves 20%. But costs 10% more.”

    • Sebastian, Style Messiah

      More like 40% more if you keep your car for 10 years… Any fuel savings would have evaporated long ago after replacing the DPF, high pressure injectors and fuel pump all costing thousands a piece.

    • Sebastian, Style Messiah

      More like 40% more if you keep your car for 10 years… Any fuel savings would have evaporated long ago after replacing the DPF, high pressure injectors and fuel pump all costing thousands a piece.

  • Turbo99

    CVT’s can’t handle high amount of torque reliably. That’s why you don’t see V8′s with CVT’s. I am not sure I want a high torque diesel with CVT.

  • Marcuspetraska

    wonder what theyll peg the tow rating at when they slip the cvt into the mix?