Subaru Outback has sights on safety

ROAD TEST

An ability to go anywhere and do anything – safely and reliably – have been hallmarks of the Subaru Outback for more than 20 years.

When it was launched back in 1995 the Outback pioneered a new area of the car market by combining the space of a large estate with the all-road capability of an SUV.

Now into its fifth generation, the slick Subaru has taken a quantum leap forward – in everything from its styling and safety features to the quality of its cabin materials and passenger space.

It’s always reassuring for families to know that their vehicle has the maximum five-star Euro NCAP crash test safety rating, and one of the reasons is thanks to something the Japanese brand describes as a second pair of eyes.

Officially called Eyesight, it is Subaru’s collision avoidance technology which acts as an extra set of peepers for the driver.

Subaru’s Eyesight system on the Outback model

It works by employing stereo colour cameras to monitor the road and traffic ahead and is the first time this technology has been made available in the UK and Europe.

The system’s two cameras are located in front of the rear view mirror to detect vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and other potential hazards.

EyeSight comes as standard to every Outback fitted with the company’s Lineartronic CVT transmission and includes pre-collision braking control and throttle management, adaptive cruise control plus lane departure and sway warning.

While the Outback’s exterior style, with its hexagonal grille and hawk-eye headlights, is only slightly altered from its predecessor, more significant changes can be found on the inside.

A revamped, more spacious, cabin uses higher quality materials than before, complemented by a new range of factory-fit infotainment and sat-nav systems.

Two four-cylinder ‘Boxer’ engines are available in the shape of a 2.0-litre turbodiesel producing 150PS or a naturally-aspirated 2.5-litre petrol unit developing 165PS.

The tested version featured the diesel and CVT transmission, the combination of which brought strong performance when fully loaded with passengers and gear and an average fuel return only a couple of miles short of the official 46mpg figure.

Not only is the Outback’s load-carrying capacity immense but it also boasts a limo-level amount of interior space – sufficient to swing the proverbial cat.

Trim grades comprise SE and SE Premium, the former including automatic LED headlamps and washers, cruise control, active torque vectoring, 17-inch alloys, heated front seats, electrically-adjustable driver’s seat and privacy glass.

Buyers also get a 7.0-inch touchscreen info system with sat-nav, audio, smartphone connectivity and a rear view parking camera.

SE Premium variants add a sunroof, keyless entry and push-button start, 18-inch alloys, leather seats and a powered rear tailgate.

Prices are from £27,995 for the Outback 2.0D SE version rising to £32,995 for the 2.0D SE Premium Lineartronic.