Subaru Outback test drive since 2009

Subaru Outback 3.6 R

The new Subaru Outback is a stranger among his own. This car took the best from universals and crossovers, settling, in fact, in a unique niche
Representatives of the four generations of Subaru Legacy are located on the lawn of the Auel Castle in the vicinity of the German Lomar. A neat green grass, the same as in nearby golf fields, was grinded under their wheels. Golphists and their Caddy ignore the story of Subaru, defying on the green balls strewn with white balls. They have no time. They are absorbed in the game. Another thing is journalists who are not in the castle at all for golf -reservation. The Legacy and Outback family are entertaining research subjects. Still would! For representatives of the car kind, you can trace a very violent evolution of the model. The patriarch of the 1990 Legacy modeling range is filled with minimalism and utilitarianism. His heir to the 1994 model is slightly more rapid, but still primitivist angular. And only in the third offspring Legacy begin to manifest the combat family character. Cars of the 1999 and 2004 model years are the stylistic forerunners of Legacy and the Fifth generation Outback, waiting for journalists behind the gates of the castle. Signs of the flight genealogy here are already updated as possible. A mild aggression has been outlined in the Blok Far gaze, the shape of the body became more streamlined, and the stamping on the hood and the sidewalls became eloquent. Fifth -generation cars clearly emphasize the strong character of the model. Energy and emotionality finally beat over the edge.
Auel is the second castle on our way. On the eve of the Bensberg castle, OutBack, blood relatives of Legacy, who debuted in the market in 1995 and erected in 2000 to the rank of a separate model, posed. We got acquainted with those and others, but it will be mainly about Outback, which in Subaru is defined as a station wagon of increased cross-country ability and a universal-crossword. Most of the route laid in the vicinity of Cologne, we made it on it.
Samurai
The first thing you think about when looking at the new outback: it looks noticeably more aggressive and more solid than its predecessors. And this first impression is not deceptive. According to a press release, designers purposefully instilled Outback both evil and representative features. The main attention, as usual, was given to the face. The stocky wagon has a cold and ruthless look, emphasized by the fried eyebrows of the stamping of the hood and the massive jaw of the front bumper. The form of the headlights is hypertrophied asian - someone freshly baked outback may even seem to be a beg -eyed and frightening, like Godzilla or a dragon from Japanese folklore. In our opinion, Outback has a frowned face of a samurai - calm, peaceful and devoted to the owner. The design of the stern emphasizes the power due to the emphasis on the rear racks and large combined lanterns. These elements, coupled with the muscles of the wheeled arches eloquently testify to: outback will stand, withstand, and will not back. Abundant chrome and a noble elongated silhouette, in turn, set a representative tone. No wonder the car fits so organically into the surroundings. In some angles, the elegance of Outback, however, borders on phlegmaticity. Take at least an unexpectedly high roof line. Thanks to the long central racks, Outback acquired a very outstanding crown - an obvious emphasis on comfort and family values.
And what do dry numbers say? The wheeled base of the station wagon increased by 75 mm, the length was 45 mm, and the width is 50 mm. The track expanded by 45 mm in front and 55 mm behind. The height at the withers increased by a good 70 mm - up to 1615 mm. For the sake of convenience, they sacrificed the branded frameless glass of doors - the presence of the framework made it possible to make the doorways wider. Well, the clearance is 213 mm, quite a few by the standards of the station wagons. The predecessor was content with 200 mm. In other words, the car has grown and turned out, following the current market trends. However, the increase in volumes is not for the sake of only the notorious trends. In the case of Outback, the Japanese took advantage of the branded know-how. For example, low -set horizontal opponents compensate for the increased road clearance and total height, performing the function of ballast. The advantages of a symmetrical all -wheel drive are strengthened, in turn, enlarged wheelbase and tracks.
Family flight
The interior developers solved the difficult component problem - to combine the sports tonality of the salon with the attributes of comfort and status. In our opinion, they succeeded. The Outback Salon is solved in unobtrusive aircraft stubborn. The central console is decorated with silver plastic under polished aluminum. The steering knitting needles resemble the tail of the fighter. The steering wheel itself is oversaturated with buttons. Even the control of the cruise control was brought to it. The parking brake with an electric drive is integrated into the front panel. The arrows of the speedometer and tachometer rush when starting the engine into a joint flight to the red zone of scales. When the ignition is turned off, the dials are highlighted by white, when turned on - blue: the theme of the sky and clouds, the designer game in the toggle swore, scales and arrows.
However, the aviation stylist conceals the room of the salon. Additional space was cut through both by increasing the wheelbase, and due to the competent reprofiling of the front seats. From the back parts of the outback back, it seems to be hollowed out the core. The rear passengers received several extra centimeters in front of the knees. The dimensions of the seats themselves increased, and this gave the interior a more solid appearance. Outback generally became more friendly to the rear passengers. They received at their disposal seats with an adjustable angle of inclination and, unlike the inhabitants of the model of the outgoing generation, they are unlikely to complain about crowding. Representative ambitions are supported by the global electrization of the car. Two front seats have eight electric adjustments. The chairs are remembered by the settings (option for all models), and the position of the seats can be made in the memory of the remote access key. The function of automatic inclusion/off the headlights is in standard configuration on all modifications, as well as the inclusion of the wiper during the rain. But I especially liked the function of locking/unlocking the doors with a simple touch of the sensor on the door handle.
The premium competitors in terms of interior outback, however, does not reach. The plastic of the front panel of the station wagon is frankly hard, and the silver inserts on the central console, the steering wheel and door panels are plastic, even if they are very similar to metallized. Nevertheless, the panels are carefully fitted, and the leather finish looks expensive. The press release focuses on such details as the even stitches of the seats. In a word, Subaru claims to the status of the model are obvious and, in our opinion, are justified.
That highway, that the desert
The word outback is translated from English as a deserted, uninhabited area. What is not a hint of the sphere of use of the station wagon? We checked the possibilities of an updated car at the training ground in the vicinity of Cologne and were convinced of the continuity of generations. The new outback will easily digest the desert, as well as a semi -desert, an autobahn and a racing landfill. In this sense, the engineers managed to make the model almost omnivorous. At the top of the model range there is a car with a 3.6-liter 249-horsepower gasoline engine and a 5-band automaton. He is the king of the mountain in the literal and figurative sense. At least when we climbed the steep and slippery clay slope, this outback surprised a lot with its stubbornness and determination. The Opposite six roars merged into a single melody with the crunching of brake pads - a consequence of the work mandatory for all modifications of the VDC system. The latter brakes the wheels that have lost the clutch with the road. A serious help is the redistribution of traction between the axes. At first glance, the share of the transmitted moment is insignificant: the balance changes from the basic 45:55 (that is, priority in favor of the rear axle) to a complete fragmentary parity - 50:50, but the effect of such a redistribution of traction should not be diminished. In our case, Outback overcame the obstacle, in fact, playfully. It should be noted that this car was equipped with the most advanced option of all -wheel drive transmission - with a variable distribution of torque (the differential is blocked by a hydromechanical coupling with electronic control). Modifications with a simpler drive scheme to German off -road were not allowed.
By the way, it is this version that looks preferable. The power and moment of the engine is enough even for the fastest and most unprepared overtaking. The five -dyadiapas automatic machine is very quick and intelligible: it does not annoy with jerks and delays in switching. AKP can also be spurred by steering wheel switches. A pair of presses on the left key - and Outback rushes forward like a messenger. Another option for doping is the circle of the SI -Drive system. It is worth installing the toggle switch at the SPORT ShaRP mark, as the response to press the accelerator pedal instantly intensifies, and the automatic transmission will begin to discard one or two transmission before intensive acceleration. I am glad that the SI-Drive system is included in the basic package of Outback 3.6 R.
A possible alternative is a station wagon with a 2.5-liter 167-horsepower gasoline engine working with a new LineArtronic. The highlight here is manual CVT mode. In the automatic transmission mode, such Outback accelerates energetically, but smoothly and smoothly, without tangible pickups. In a word, he behaves as an average car with a variator gearbox. All the same steering wheel keys will become an outlet for lovers of active drive. It is worth sinking a couple of virtual steps below, and the tachometer arrow will justify somewhere in the area of \u200b\u200bthe red zone of the scale. The system will allow you to keep increased speeds and will not try to switch to the highest variator step, and a very pleasant sound accompaniment will act as a bonus.
In terms of controllability, Outback will give a head start to the overwhelming number of crossovers. The only spoon of tar in a barrel of honey is an excessively light steering wheel, a reactive force on which with a set of speed increases, in our opinion, is not enough. Otherwise, some advantages associated with branded know -how. We are talking about the aforementioned low location of horizontal-opposition engines, a symmetrical all-wheel drive, as well as about innovation in the architecture of the chassis. The motor and transmission are attached to the body of the new outback through the engine subframe. This ensures a decrease in the level of noise and vibrations. The peeling suspension was seriously revised. If in a nutshell, it has become more energy -intensive. As a result, the station wagon not only does not roll in turns, but also demonstrates excellent smoothness, which on our roads may seem even excessive. As the general director of the Russian representative office of Subaru Motor of Casus Josid told us, cars for Russia will be equipped with a suspension adapted for our conditions. According to him, Russian roads require a chassis. And a little more information from first -hand. In Russia, the new Outback will appear closer to the end of October - with a full -sized stock in the luggage compartment (only the remote control is laid) and, possibly, not only with gasoline engines. Now Subaru experts test Russian diesel fuel and make a decision in the near future. It remains to add that for the pleasure of owning Subaru Outback you will have to lay out from 1 199 200 rubles-so much a car with a 2-liter 150-horsepower gasoline engine and a 6-band automaton will cost.

Technical characteristics Subaru Outback 3.6 R
Dimensions, mm 4775x1820x1605
Wheel base, mm 2745
Trunk volume, l 526-1726
Equipped mass, kg 1587
Benzine engine type V6
Working volume, cubic meter. cm 3630
Max. Power, L.S./rpm 249/5600
Max. moment, nm/rpm 350/4400
The transmission is automatic 5-band
The drive is complete
Max. Speed, km/h 230
Acceleration time 0100 km/h, with 7.5
Fuel consumption (average), l/100 km 10.0
Tank volume, l 65
Vasily Sergeev
Photo by the author and the manufacturer

 
 

 

Source: Avtopanorama magazine