- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.5i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
138kW, 245Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 7.3L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto (CVT)
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2021)
2021 Subaru Outback review
The all-new Subaru Outback doesn't look all that different to the outgoing model. But, with big changes under the skin, has Subaru improved the breed?
- Comfortable and cosseting ride and handling
- Powertrain combo works well together
- Decent interior comfort and space
- Trigger-happy driver monitoring system
- Lack of some physical buttons for climate control
- Prepaid servicing costs are getting up there
The Subaru Outback might be marketed as a large SUV, with enough room for the family and their gear. But, it’s never quite cast off the shackles of its station wagon-based genesis. And it’s all the better for it.
Look closely at the 2021 Subaru Outback, and you can still see its wagon roots. It looks more like a jacked-up station wagon than an out-and-out SUV, and that’s no bad thing.
Yes, it’s bigger, much bigger than the first-generation Liberty-based Outback that first graced our roads in 1996. But today’s Outback is still clearly descended from that Liberty forebear.
And it remains hugely popular with buyers, six months into 2021, remaining the third-best-selling nameplate in the large SUV segment behind only the ever-popular Toyota Prado and the evergreen Isuzu MU-X.
Subaru buyers are a slightly different breed, true to the brand with a near-unwavering loyalty. Part of that loyalty can be attributed to Subaru’s reputation in Australia, where the Japanese brand has always been well-regarded, not least of all for its permanent all-wheel-drive underpinnings and punchy boxer engines.
To satiate those loyalists, and no doubt conquer a few more besides, the all-new 2021 Subaru Outback lobs here with a streamlined range featuring just a single powertrain.
2021 Subaru Outback | |
Engine | 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol |
Power and torque | 138kW at 5800rpm, 245Nm at 3400–4600rpm |
Transmission | CVT automatic |
Drive type | All-wheel drive |
Tare weight | 1626kg |
Fuel claim combined (ADR) | 7.3L/100km |
Fuel use on test | 10.2L/100km |
Boot volume | 522L/1267L |
Turning circle | 11.0m |
ANCAP safety rating | Not tested |
Warranty | Five years/unlimited km |
Main competitors | Hyundai Sante Fe, Kia Sorento, LDV D90, Toyota Kluger |
Price | From $39,990 plus on-road costs |
While at first glance the new Outback looks remarkably similar to the outgoing model, don’t be lulled. It’s all new, especially in the cabin and under the skin, even if the face it presents seems familiar.
The model names have been simplified as well. Where once Outbacks of old wore nameplates like 2.5i Premium or 3.6R Premium, today’s new Outback range consists of just three variants: the entry-level, plain old Subaru Outback; the mid-level Outback Sport; and the range-topping Outback Touring.
On test here, we’re keeping it simple, spending a week in the entrée into the range, the decidedly unimaginative Subaru, well, Outback.
It’s priced at $39,990 plus on-road costs, or around $45,000 drive-away, give or take depending on which state you live in. That’s around $5000 more affordable than the mid-spec Outback Sport ($44,490 plus on-roads), while the range-topping Touring commands $47,790 before on-road costs.
In terms of rivals, the Outback in its most basic guise stacks up pretty well, certainly on price, with the only sub-$40K (list price) all-wheel-drive contender in a crowded segment.
Of the AWD tribe in the large-SUV segment, the Hyundai Santa Fe base wants for $49,990 drive-away, while its cross-town sibling, the Kia Sorento S, is priced a slightly higher at $52,290 drive-away (though AWD in both is only available with a diesel engine). The challenger brand LDV D90 comes closest with a sticker price of $43,990 drive-away – technically undercutting the Outback, though the likelihood of them being cross-shopped seems slim. At the other end of the spectrum, the perennial favourite Toyota Kluger in basic GX trim is priced at $51,650 plus on-road costs.
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It should be noted, those competitors are equipped with seven seats, against the Outback’s five, something buyers are increasingly considering.
But, for those who have no need for a third row, the Outback presents a compelling value proposition.
While the new-for-2021 Outback looks a lot like its predecessor, slide inside and that familiarity soon gives way to freshness. The cabin has undergone a transformative makeover, and it begins with the centrepiece 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen. Eschewing the more traditional horizontal layout, Subaru has done a ‘Volvo’ and orientated its infotainment centrepiece vertically, or portrait.
It runs Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and while CarPlay displays much like your smartphone on the portrait screen, Android users will be a little put-out by the small horizontal real estate their interface takes up.
There’s DAB+ radio, too, although in this entry-level spec, the Outback misses out on in-built satellite navigation, leaving your smartphone to do the heavy GPS lifting.
While the screen looks impressive in the cabin, the ergonomic set-up suffers for it. There are no physical buttons for some, not all, of the climate-control functions such as fan speed and air recirculation, which require a couple of clicks on the screen. There are, though, buttons for adjusting the temperature, so all is not lost. Still, it proved a distracting experience on the move.
And distractions are all too easily policed by the Outback’s camera-based driver monitoring system. It sits above the touchscreen and actively monitors the driver’s face and eyes to ensure attention is being paid to the road. It can also detect signs of fatigue and tiredness in the driver, and will ping you accordingly.
Now, while this is inherently a good thing, I found the system a bit trigger-happy, alerting me to keep my eyes on the straight ahead and on the road for doing something as simple and as quick as looking in my door mirrors. If there’s a way to adjust the sensitivity, I couldn’t find it. Or maybe cut back on those lingering glances in the rear-view mirror.
Convenient storage options up front are good: there’s a tray with a couple of USB ports ahead of the gear shifter, a pair of cupholders and a decently sized central storage bin. The door pockets can easily accommodate bottles too.
As a sub-$40K entry point, there’s not a lot of leather trim to be find in the base Outback. But, that’s doesn’t detract from the material quality throughout. Yes, the seats are trimmed in fabric, but Subaru has gone to some lengths to ensure it looks and feels good, with a variety of textures keeping things interesting.
Analogue dials flanking a 4.2-inch digital information display greet the driver, simple and clean. The small screen can toggle through a wealth of information, such as trip duration, fuel consumption, and the like. Or, keeping it simple, it acts as a digital a speedo. Perfect.
2021 Subaru Outback | |
Length | 4870mm |
Width | 1875mm |
Height | 1675mm |
Wheelbase | 2745mm |
Tow rating (braked / unbraked) | 2000kg / 750kg |
Downball weight (max) | 200kg |
Ground clearance | 213mm |
Warranty | Five years / unlimited km |
Service intervals | 12 months / 12,500km |
Servicing costs | $1290.90 (three years) / $2449.88 (five years) |
Options as fitted | None |
The second row is where the Outback wins back some points, with spaciousness galore. Behind my own 173cm driving position, there’s buckets full of room in every key area – from toe to knee, leg and head – to ensure back seat passengers aren’t compromised for comfort. It’s a decently wide back bench, too, easily taking three adults.
The highlight, though, is seat comfort, the second row offering a plushness sometimes overlooked in back seats. There are a couple of air vents back there, too, as well as a couple of USB points for keeping devices juiced up.
The outboard seats are ISOFIX child-seat anchor equipped alongside three top-tether anchors on the seat backs.
The second row stows away in 40:60 fashion, liberating a total of 1267L of cargo space. That contracts to 522L with the second row being used by people. And, in something of a rarity these days, a full-size alloy spare lives under the boot floor.
ANCAP hasn’t tested the new Subaru Outback yet, so its safety official rating is currently unknown. But, there is a vast swathe of active safety technology bundled into the Outback as standard.
Autonomous emergency braking (both forward and reverse), and a swag of lane-keeping aids including lane-keeping assist, lane-centring assist, lane-departure warning, and lane-change assist, are joined by the previously mentioned driver-attention monitoring.
There’s also evasive steering assist, speed sign recognition (with speed limiter), blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.
That’s on top of the usual complement of airbags protecting both rows of occupants, including a new passenger seat cushion airbag, which in the event of a frontal crash pushes up on the front section of the seat base, preventing the front passenger's waist from moving forward or sliding beneath the seatbelt.
The previous Outback wore a five-star ANCAP rating.
Under the bonnet, the 2.5-litre naturally aspirated ‘boxer’ four-cylinder is 90 per cent new, according to Subaru, with slightly more power and torque over the outgoing power plant. Those outputs check in at 138kW (up 9kW) and 245Nm (up 10Nm) and offer enough poke for most situations.
Sending those outputs to all four wheels via Subaru’s permanent AWD system is an eight ‘step’ continuously variable transmission (CVT). It does a decent job of mimicking a more conventional automatic transmission, offering smooth and predictable ‘shifts’.
It’s an improvement on the breed, too, CVTs becoming increasingly more refined as the technology is developed. The one in the Outback is a peach.
Around town, the Outback goes about its work with minimal fuss, accelerating, not exactly sharply, but with enough urgency off the line to never leave you wanting for more from your large SUV. Cruising at highway speeds is equally effortless and fuss-free.
The suspension tune on the Outback errs on the side of soft and comfortable. It’s adept at swallowing up all the little nasties that can grace our fine roads without impinging on occupant comfort. The word that springs to mind is cosseting.
Those looking for the Outback’s mild off-roading credentials will note its 213mm ground clearance, as well as the brand’s X-Mode selector that toggles through a variety of traction-control tunes for mud, sand and snow as well as light off-roading.
Subaru says the Outback will consume 7.3L/100km of regular 91RON unleaded. We saw an indicated 10.2L/100km after a predominantly urban week. Longer, loping runs on the highway should see that combined number tumble accordingly. The fuel tank measures in at 63L.
The Outback is covered by Subaru’s standard five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, while servicing intervals are scheduled for 12 months/12,500km. Three- and five-year plans can be prepaid at time of purchase, and ask for $1290.90 for three years or $2449.88 for five years’ scheduled workshop visits.
The Outback continues to be a popular choice for families not looking for seven seats. Equally adept around town on school runs as it is on weekend getaways into the country, it’s easy to see why the Outback remains a constant presence on our roads.
Subaru hasn’t strayed too much from the formula that has made the Outback such a success over the years. And that’s no bad thing. It’s spacious, well-equipped, and with a driving experience best described as easy and comfortable, the Outback ticks plenty of boxes for Australian families.
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