But, in reality, this is really the Subaru of yesteryear; the Subaru that the general population know is more into producing practical, safe and family-oriented products.

The brand has certainly shifted its focus over the past decade or so and has all but killed-off its performance car division, with its bread and butter consisting of SUVs and crossovers, a wise move if it wants to secure more sales.  I recently had a go in the brand’s Outback and was left pleasantly surprised.

 Subaru as a lifestyle brand

With its target market now skewed towards those with an active lifestyle, Subaru’s current portfolio of products reflects the brand’s focus on vehicles with semi-autonomous driving capability, off-road credentials and practicality above burbling boxer-powered saloons and hatchbacks.

While still sticking to boxer-style (or horizontally opposed for those more technically inclined) engines and maintaining its symmetrical all-wheel drive systems across the range (bar the locally defunct BRZ), these hallmarks of the brand have now been implemented as more of a sales and marketing tactic to help differentiate the brand from key competitors within the market.

The Outback

Being a station wagon, the Outback is not likely to appeal to many South Africans, who’d prefer an SUV, but wagon ownership is not without its perks. Despite, in my option at least, looking rather imposing with its crossbar roof racks, an elongated profile and increased ride height, the wagon element adds a rather capacious and usable boot, which in this car is 512-litres and a massive 1 801-litres with the rear seats folded down.

Speaking of the rear seats, the rear quarters managed to carry three adults in relative comfort, with good leg and headroom, which provides USB ports at the rear to charge devices. Up front, the driver and passenger are greeted by a neat and ergonomically pleasing design; material quality is respectable, although the fake wood trim inserts are certainly a matter of personal taste. There are also rubberised floor and boot mats, which allude to the cars purpose as an activity vehicle.

Safety and technology

On the technology front the Outback impresses with a solid infotainment system, the 7.0-inch screen is housed above the digital climate control system and is easy to use, with features such as Apple Car Play and Android Auto, TomTom sat nav, Bluetooth/USB and an 11-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system.

There’s also a Sport and Sport Sharp settings for the throttle and engine response while X-Mode button in the centre console prepares the car for off-roading and even activates the hill descent control system. This X-Mode works in combination with the vehicle’s traction control, all-wheel drive system and the 213mm of ground clearance to ensure respectable off-road ability.

On the safety front there’s seven airbags, LED headlamps, active torque vectoring, a reverse camera with the Subaru Rear Vehicle Detection (SVRD) system, a front view camera below the badge as well as the rather clever EyeSight system which makes use of two cameras mounted near the top of the windscreen in the cabin which allows the car features such as adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking, and lane departure warning. The system is certainly amongst the best on the market at the moment within this price bracket.

Under the hood

I have driven several Subaru models in my relatively short journalism career and this was my third Outback experience, with the first being the EJ25-powered four-cylinder naturally aspirated model, the second the now-defunct boxer diesel variant and now, most recently, the 3.6-litre naturally aspirated version.

The first thing that sprung to mind when I received this Outback was how heavy I’d anticipated the six-cylinder lump up front to be on fuel, especially considering the size of the car and the fact that it’s paired with a CVT gearbox.

To my surprise, the Outback proved to be a more efficient people carrier than I’d thought. The brand claims a fuel consumption figure of 9.9-litres/100km and throughout my week with the car I came to a figure of 10.7-litres/100km, which is respectable.

I feel that it comes down to the powertrain combination, while only producing 191kW/350Nm, the six-cylinder motor feels eager and its very matched to the CVT gearbox, which has been engineered with an artificial stepping function that provides the sensation of a gearshift. This sensation is not as satisfying as that of a torque converter or a dual-clutch set-up, but it certainly beats the drone of CVTs from the past.

Verdict

The Outback, especially with the six-cylinder motor is very good product indeed. It offers a practical, capable and robust package that is ideal for those who are looking for a vehicle to take on extended trips and one which suits an active lifestyle.

Warranty and service plan

All Outback models come with a five-year/150 000km warranty as well as a three-year/ 75 000km maintenance plan.

Pricing

Subaru Outback 3.6 R-S ES Premium: R655 000