Debuting an all new wagon, the 2015 Subaru Outback makes a dramatic entrance at the 2014 New York Auto Show. Sporting all new, contemporary sheet-metal, a new nose, new interior and a new transmission, the 2015 Subaru Outback is basically an all-new machine. The Outback is the bread-and-butter for Subaru as it is one of their largest sellers, so this updated design is extremely important for Subaru.
Fortunately, the design of the 2015 Subaru Outback is much easier on the eyes than the outgoing model. The 2015 Subaru Outback looks more chiseled, more finished and sleeker (the rake of the windshield has been increased for aerodynamics, and it looks slicker). The nose and tail have evolved and now compliment each other.
Subaru has done away with the automatic and manual transmission options and has fully embraced continuously variable transmissions (CVT) across the line. Subaru’s Lineartronic has been revised for smoother, more efficient operation.
The base model 2015 Subaru Outback will have a 175 horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder, boxer engine that makes 174 lbs-feet of torque. Subaru says the 2.5-liter can get 25 miles per gallon city, 33 mpg highway and 28 mpg combined. The top-of-the-line engine is the 256 hp H6, 3.6-liter that makes 247 lb-ft of torque. Available only on the Limited model, Subaru says it will get 19 mpg city, 27 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined.
Those numbers represent a two mpg increase throughout the line. Extra gas savings equipment like front grill shutters, electric power steering and better aerodynamics aided the mpg increase. The hood on the new 2015 Subaru Outback is made out of lightweight aluminum, saving weight too.
The 2015 Subaru Outback’s interior grows by 2.7 cubic feet. Total cargo capacity has grown by 2-cubic feet with the rear seats down and 1.2 cubic feet with the rear seats up. The load floor now folds flatter and the power tailgate has a height memory function. Interior noise is addressed by additional sound deadening material throughout.
The interior has been updated with more expensive materials, soft-touch components and higher-tech instrumentation.
Options will include rear vehicle detection system that combines blind-spot detection, lane-change assist and a rear/cross traffic alert. Steering-responsive fog lights on models equipped with Subaru’s EyeSight system add to the optional safety list.
According to Subaru: “All 2015 Outback models come equipped as standard with the X-Mode system, which debuted on the 2014 Forester. When engaged by a switch on the console, X-Mode optimizes engine output and CVT ratio position, increases Active All-Wheel Drive engagement and uses enhanced control logic for the Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) system to reduce individual wheel spin.
Engaging X-Mode also activates the new Hill Descent Control, which uses engine braking to help maintain a constant vehicle speed when the Outback is traveling downhill, enhancing vehicle control. New Incline Start Assist helps to momentarily minimize forward or backward vehicle rolling on inclines, and the electronic Hill Holder System holds the vehicle in place until the driver presses the accelerator pedal to pull away from a stop.”
The 2015 Subaru Outback is due in showrooms this summer.
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