The Subaru Outback has always had a loyal following, its classy blend of understated
design and all-weather practicality earning it the respect of many.
While it gained a diesel engine in recent years in the form of Subaru's excellent 2.0-litre
Boxer unit, it did so without the option of an automatic transmission, something that's
becoming increasingly important.
That's changed for the 2014 model, and Subaru have taken the opportunity to also fiddle
with the oily bits and tweak the styling.
Externally, the new Outback wears body-coloured cladding, more aggressive black-backed headlights,
and new gunmetal grey 17-inch alloy wheels.
The familiar estate car silhouette remains, but Subaru have gone on to make revisions
to the suspension aimed at improving stability and refinement.
Inside, the layout is much as before, although the electrically-adjustable seats have been
revised to offer greater comfort, and there's a wide range of travel in all directions.
There are sporting touches such as the alloy pedals and the carbon-fibre trim, while the
steering wheel has good adjustability for both reach and rake.
The instruments have been updated, too, with a new central colour display and permanently
illuminated dials that are clear and easy to read.
The audio system boasts excellent sound quality, but we found the process of pairing a phone
over Bluetooth to be excessively complex, relying on a somewhat convoluted menu system.
We also failed to pair any of our test phones for both voice and music - we could pair for
voice, for example, but not music, or music, but not voice.
Pairing for both seemed impossible.
The system also doesn't seem to be able to use the phonebook from the phone, instead
numbers have to be entered manually into the unit and this, we would suggest, is rather
laborious.
Elsewhere in the cabin there are a decent number of cupholders and storage compartments,
including a coin tray under the front armrest where you'll also find charging and audio
points for your phone.
Rear seat passengers are well looked after, with good knee room and a 60/40 split seat
that also reclines.
In the boot there's 562 litres of space plus a variety of underfloor compartments for the
tyre repair kit and other gubbins, including a space to store the retractable load cover
when it's not in use.
Folding the rear seats is made easy by a pair of levers mounted in the boot walls, and these
drop the seats to form an almost flat load floor, complete with various hooks and tie
downs.
And with the seats folded, there's 1,677 litres on offer.
Power comes from Subaru's well-regarded 2.0-litre Boxer diesel engine which outputs 150PS and
350Nm of torque.
It's good for 0-62mph in 9.7 seconds and a 121 mph top speed.
Of course, the biggest change for 2014 is the arrival of Subaru's Lineartronic automatic
transmission on the diesel model.
It's a continuously variable unit that features a fully automatic mode plus a Manual mode
that allows you to change between seven simulated ratios by using a pair of paddles mounted
behind the steering wheel.
In normal driving the engine spins quietly away at 2,000rpm or so, leaving the gearbox
to adjust its ratios as necessary, and this makes for pleasingly calm and quiet progress.
Ask for a little more from the drivetrain and the gearbox will act more like a conventional
auto.
Instead of pegging the engine at the red-line as with a normal CVT, Subaru's Lineartronic
will instead simulate a series of gears, changing smoothly and seamlessly through each one.
You can use the paddles to exert a degree of manual control.
However, there's no direct way to return to automatic mode.
Instead, the gearbox tries to select the best time to take back control, and this can conflict
with a forward-planned overtake, for instance.
Still, this small niggle can be solved by moving the gear lever across the gate to the
M position, and here you can paddle your way through each of the seven pseudo-ratios as
much as you like.
For the most part, though, Subaru's Lineartronic does such a thoroughly respectable job that
it's best left to its own devices.
And your reward for doing so is calm yet responsive progress, with only the merest hint of diesel
noise entering the cabin.
Press on, and you'll find the Outback corners surprisingly flatly.
Of course, there is some body roll, but in truth it's something that really only makes
itself evident during quick and successive changes of direction, such as tackling tight
roundabouts at speed.
Even then, there's a sense that Subaru's symmetrical all-wheel-drive system is working away beneath
the floor to keep everything in contact with the tarmac, and the Outback's long-travel
suspension helps here by soaking up pot-holes and deep ridges in a way other cars can only
dream of.
Prices for the new Outback start at £29,995 for the manual model, the Lineartronic coming
in at £31,495.
Equipment levels are generous, with climate control, cruise control, heated seats, electric
sunroof, and reversing camera all standard.
It's efficient, too, recording 44.8mpg on the combined cycle and we had little trouble
maintaining a 41mpg average across a mix of driving conditions.
The Subaru Outback offers a compelling mix of practicality, all-weather surefootedness,
real-world efficiency and - in the guise of the new Lineartronic model - an easily accessible
and incredibly driver-friendly package.
Long before the term 'crossover' was invented, this is the car forward-thinking people bought.
Now it's worthy of a place on everyone's shortlist.