The 2020 Subaru Outback Adds a Turbo Engine and New Features
The new 2020 Subaru Outback wagon sports a familiar look but has plenty of new features.
It also adds an optional turbocharged engine with 260 horsepower, reviving the XT model from older Outback generations.
The 2020 Outback will go on sale in the fall.
As the Subaru Outback enters its sixth generation, it hews closely to the highly successful formula that took it this far: it remains an all-wheel-drive lifted wagon version of the Legacy mid-size sedan, with rugged looks and an adventurous image. But there's plenty of newness in store for the 2020 Outback, as it adds a turbocharged engine option, offers a huge optional touchscreen, and migrates to a new platform that promises improved handling and refinement.
A turbo engine has been absent from the Outback lineup for a decade, but it makes its return for 2020 and is once again badged XT. Replacing the outgoing car's 3.6-liter flat-six upgrade engine, the XT uses a turbocharged 2.4-liter boxer-four with 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque that pairs with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Not only should this provide sprightlier acceleration than before, it also helps the Outback provide a 3500-pound towing capacity, 800 pounds more than before. In other hauling news, Subaru claims a wider rear cargo opening. Now, maximum cargo volume with the rear seats folded sits at 76 cubic feet, three cubic feet more than before.
Non-XT Outbacks make do with a 2.5-liter flat-four that makes 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque, also with a one-choice-only continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Subaru says this engine is heavily revised compared with the previous car's base engine, and fuel economy improves to an estimated 26 mpg city and 33 mpg highway.
All Outbacks, of course, have Subaru's signature all-wheel-drive system with torque-vectoring capability, an off-road-oriented X-Mode, hill-descent control, and 8.7 inches of ground clearance.
While Subaru isn't yet saying how the new Outback compares to its predecessor in terms of size, we do know that it now uses the company's modular architecture that underpins the Impreza, the Ascent, and the new Legacy sedan on which the Outback is based. This new, stiffer platform promises to provide improved handling and increased refinement, and Subaru says it has added sound deadening to reduce road noise.
The Outback's set of standard and optional features is comprehensive. The EyeSight bundle of driver-assist features is standard across the board, and all trim levels but the base model get a huge 11.6-inch vertical touchscreen with all sorts of connectivity options including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Additional features available on upper trim levels include cooled seats, a forward-camera view system, and an LTE WiFi hotspot.
Trim levels include base, Premium, Limited, and Touring, all of which have the naturally aspirated engine, and Limited XT and Touring XT, which have the optional turbo. There's a special Onyx Edition XT that combines the Premium's feature set and the turbo engine along with a blacked-out exterior appearance package, a two-tone gray interior with water-repellent seats, a full-size spare tire, a power liftgate, and the front camera system.
We expect pricing to mostly hold the line from the current Outback's $27,320 starting price, with XT models cresting the $40,000 mark when fully loaded. It will hit dealerships this fall.
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