New platform, new equipment – probably not the new turbo engine.

CHRISTMAS is coming in late February for Subaru, this being when it will launch the next generation of a sales stalwart, the Outback.

An announcement today about the car’s release timing doesn’t spoil any element of surprise in respect to the kind of car we’re getting.

Subaru’s habit of releasing this model in North America well ahead of other markets continued with the sixth-generation line.  

The latest high-riding station wagon has been on sale Stateside for more than 12 months, with the world getting its first look when it was revealed at the 2019 Detroit motor show.

The recipe is highly familiar: A high-riding wagon powered by a flat-four petrol engine, married to a constantly variable transmission and always driving all four wheels, with styling that is very derivative of the outgoing car’s look, though the body is slightly larger and roomier and the car bases on a new underpinning, the Subaru Global Platform (SGP) that debuted with the latest Impreza.

Subaru NZ’s managing director Wallis Dumper says the car has benefitted from continuous innovation, “which has resulted in the biggest, safest, most luxurious and technologically advanced Outback ever.”

“It’s safe to say this new generation Outback has undergone a serious transformation. Our rugged All-Wheel Drive adventurer is already our most popular Subaru and we are excited to unlock further potential in this completely new Outback.”

The big question is respect to the technology will be in respect to what’s under the bonnet.

What’s still to be clarified is whether there’s potential for our line-up to include the turbo petrol engine offered in North America as an alternate to the 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol four-cylinder that carries over for another term, but with refinements.

Chances are … no. The car’s other significant right-hand-drive market, Australia, has confirmed today that all its variants will be powered by the naturally-aspirated unit.

Outputs likely to mirror those of the North American-market, 2.5-litre Outback, which develops 135kW of power and 238Nm of torque, so 6kW and 3Nm more than the current engine provisions. The turbo, meantime, is a 193kW/360Nm offer.

The car has an uprated towing capacity of 2000kg – an increase of 25 percent over the current model – and also delivers a 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen, alongside nappa leather-accented seat trim. 

Safety and technology is almost expected to be a feature of the new model, including the latest generation of the company's 'EyeSight' driver assist system, and the driver monitoring system as per the Forester. 

Other available technologies are expected to include forward and reverse autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist and a 360-degree camera.

The model adopts as standard the updated X-Mode selectable terrain response system that has featured in the current Outback X. This combines driver-selectable drive modes for terrain and weather management with differential locks and hill descent control to simplify and improve capability on non-optimal driving surfaces.