﻿Subaru has introduced turbocharged power to its Outback range with the introduction of two new
XT variants for 2023. Each borrows its engine from another well-known Subaru product, the WRX,
and commands a $5,000 pricing premium over the existing non-turbo variants. Question is,
is this worth the extra spend? Let's find out.
The Outback range in Australia grows to five models for 2023 with the introduction of the
XT Sport and flagship XT Touring models. Using the regular non-turbocharged Sport and Touring models
as their base, the XT versions employ identical specification levels but receive a healthy nip
and tuck underneath, including installation of a 2.4-liter turbo petrol four-cylinder engine.
The sportier positioning is visually identified by dual exhaust outlets and new LED fog lights
with six individual lights up front, a nod to Subaru's six-starred logo. In truth, though,
the exhaust outlets look a little plain and hidden to really distinguish the sportier appearance.
Otherwise, new XT badging is the easiest way to spot the newcomer. 18-inch alloy wheels
with a full-size spare, LED headlights, and LED taillights are all worthy standard inclusions.
So the engine, it's officially a detuned version of the same 2.4-liter turbo petrol four-cylinder
found in the new WRX. In this application, it's made at standard to an eight-speed CVT
transmission, and being a Subaru, symmetrical all-wheel drive. Now compared with the non-turbo
donor, you're getting an additional 48 kilowatts and 105 newton-meters of torque, together with an
increase in braked turn capacity of 400 kilograms to 2.4 tons braked. Subaru has officially lowered
the final drive ratio on this car, which is said to provide a 22% improvement in acceleration,
together with a small increase in fuel consumption at nine liters per hundred Ks claimed. The Outback
XT models also adopt a new suspension tune and grippier brake pads to compliment the added
power. Inside, the XT shares its layout with the donor Sport and Touring versions of the Outback,
so I'm in the flagship Touring XT at the moment, and what a place to spend time. It has basically
every feature you can think of, ventilated seats, really handy in the summer, heated seats,
heated steering wheel and everything else, but what I like most is that it has a cabin that is
really well-thought-out. It's legible, everything is easy to read, easy to get up to speed with,
but it also gets the 1% touches right as well, the kind of things that you really do appreciate
in a car when you're living with it, super comfortable, broad seats, soft contact points,
and even something as simple as the cockpit layout itself just seems like you've got a little bit
more knee room, a little bit more elbow room than a lot of other modern cars. Very small features,
but tangible features nonetheless and things you really do like when you're living with a vehicle.
In terms of the integration of technology, I think it's a quite a good balance between analog
and digital. The instrument cluster is a nice example, two analog gauges, analog gauges for
the temperature and also the fuel level as well, separated by a pretty whiz-bang digital display
in the middle. It's all really nicely integrated and it's easy to use. You have sort of adequate
buttons and switchgear to navigate your way through all the different features. The small
exception to the rule is probably the 11.6-inch center touchscreen display. It can seem a little
bit in your face at first, but give it time, and it's fairly well-thought-out. I wouldn't mind some
additional physical buttons and switchgear just to sort of shortcut basic things like the air
recirculation. At the moment, it's a bit of a two-stage process. You have to press one button
in the bottom and then touch it at the top. These are pretty small gripes in the scheme of things,
but just basic little things like that that could be improved. Otherwise, this is a
really well-resolved cabin and a nice space to spend plenty of time. The Outback covers all of
our infotainment checklist as standard, with the exception of a head-up display. It also ticks off
our safety technology checklist out of the box. Rear seat space is commendable, with ample leg,
head, and shoulder room plus the installation of rear air vents and power outlets, suitable for
adults or little ones alike. The latter are also facilitated by two Isofix attachment points on
the outbound seats, and three top tether points. Further back, the 522-liter boot area is wide,
deep, and flat in its layout, with luggage hooks, a separate power outlet, and quick-fold levers
to stow the second row. Doing so offers even more flat floor space at 1,267 liters combined.
So Subaru owners have clearly been calling out for a turbocharged model for some time. There's no
longer a diesel variant of the Outback available. It's just that solitary naturally-aspirated petrol
engine, and I have to say, as first impressions go, I think it was worth the wait because this
really does help transform the Outback driving experience. We've been back-to-backing the
new turbocharged Outback with the existing naturally-aspirated Outback today, and it just
really does give you a little bit more of an edge in terms of refinement, in terms of acceleration,
underlying torque, and there's less reliance on the CVT transmission as well, so you put all those
factors together, and you have a drivetrain that is far more nippier, it's just as efficient, about
10.5 liters per hundred Ks on test, exactly that of the naturally-aspirated version, and it's just
a lot more pleasant to drive. Where the regular Outback can feel a little bit languid under
acceleration and just lacking that underlying torque, which means it needs to rely on the CVT
combination a lot more, this turbocharged version just has that expediency. It's ready to go all
the time. It requires less revs to really muster enthusiasm, and when you do call on the engine,
it's a nice, pleasant power curve, not whiplash speed by any means. Engine aside,
the driving characteristics in the Subaru Outback XT are pretty much line-ball with
the existing naturally-aspirated version, and that's good news because it's a really stable,
sure-footed, and confident car on the road. We're going over some really heavily pockmarked roads.
There's big potholes, washouts, and everything else out near Bathurst in New South Wales,
and just with such a big wheel base on the road, and a big platform,
it's a car that just seems to really do well over broken bitumen and washouts alike.
If ever there was a case for someone wanting to buy something that's not an SUV, I think
this is it because even though Subaru does sort of class it as an SUV, it's a really clever execution
of a high-riding wagon. You're still getting the ground clearance, yet you're also still getting a
car that cultivates feel and confidence. There's less body roll than an SUV, and it's just nice
to drive. Doesn't feel like you're wrestling with this thing through the corners. You might be able
to hear a little bit of road noise entering the cabin, and that has been a kind of ever-present
feature in today's driving on really coarse-chip bitumen, but on smoother A roads, main arterial
roads, it's a really pleasant and really quiet and refined driving experience. In terms of
the finer details of ride and handling, Subaru has been really clever in marketing its symmetrical
all-wheel drive system, but I do feel in that, this application, you're getting a car that
feels really well-tied-down to the road and really does instill confidence, knowing you've got that
underlying grip. The steering is nice and light at low speeds. It weighs up nicely through corners.
It certainly doesn't feature the articulate weighting and feeling of a European car,
but it's telegraphing everything that's happening underneath, and importantly,
it's really easy to place this Outback on the road. For a big car, it is a cinch to drive.
The modulation of the brakes, the accelerator and everything else is great, and when you put all of
those features together with the comfortable seats, just how spread out the cabin feels,
the way that you sit in the car, this is clearly a vehicle that doesn't mind a cross-country
adventure. We've kind of thrown a little bit of everything at it today, winding country roads,
big, wallowing, open roads as well that's sort of been impacted by the recent rain, city driving,
highway driving, and it has taken it all in its stride. This is a really great all-rounder
in a mix of conditions. So, we started out asking the question, is the Subaru Outback
XT worth the $5,000, and make no mistake, that is a pretty hefty chunk of change in anyone's books.
For me, though, I really do feel as though this has transformed the Outback driving experience.
It's just as confident, just as surefooted, just as nice inside the cabin,
yet it's much more effective and efficient with the way that it gets down to business,
especially when you ask a little bit more from the drivetrain. Throw in the higher 2.4-ton
braked towing capacity, and this makes a pretty compelling argument, and I still think, at under
$60,000, you're still getting a lot of vehicle for the money. Just like the donor car, the Subaru
Outback XT feels compliant and well-rounded on the road. On first impression, it potentially feels a
little bit sportier with its suspension tuned, but it does a great job in balancing on-road comfort
with performance wears. The Subaru Outback XT is backed by a five-year, unlimited kilometer
warranty in Australia, while the first year of ownership is offered with a roadside
assist package. Servicing intervals are in fact spaced more generously than the non-turbo model,
and the capped-price servicing rate comes in about $100 cheaper over five years. In summary, we'd
say the Subaru Outback XT feels decidedly stronger and better executed with the installation of turbo
petrol power. Add in those servicing provisions, better towing capacity, and the fact it retains
the same basic character as the donor, and the $5,000 premium feels like money well-spent.