The Subaru Outback is an American idea. Subaru of America was suffering from lagging sales because they had nothing with which to combat the emerging plethora of “sports utility vehicles” from their North American competition. In the mid-nineties the American division pushed their Japanese parent to come up with their own sporty SUV model.
Fuji Heavy Industries lacked the capital and time to develop a whole new model so they added exterior cladding to their Legacy Wagon, raised the ride height via a suspension lift kit and began an aggressive advertising campaign offering the Legacy Outback as a sensible, sporty, powerful and less-costly-to-operate alternative to heavy, truck-based sports utility vehicles (SUVs). The Legacy Wagon already offered powerful engines and all-wheel-drive, so the dress-up was all that was needed.
Australian actor and action star icon, Paul Hogan (aka Crocodile Dundee) was hired as the spokesperson for the new model. The action television ads featured Hogan and a companion driving an Outback and escaping or evading pursuers who were lumbering along in their huge SUVs. The ads were clever and attention getting. Sales in North America skyrocketed, so the model began to be offered in other markets with much the same success.
The Legacy Grand Wagon was the model name for the vehicle outside of the USA, but in 2004, the name Outback was adopted for use worldwide. Subaru is credited with creating the crossover segment of the market with the Outback, one that has since been copied by every automobile manufacturer in the world. However, the American Motors Eagle Wagon, introduced in 1979, was the first compact with all-wheel-drive. AMC’s effort was short-lived and did not make any impact on the market.
There have been four worldwide generations of the Outback offered to date. The drive train options for the First Generation began with all-wheel-drive as standard. The engines offered were a 135 horsepower (101kW) and a 165 hp (123kW), both the familiar Subaru boxer four. Transmissions were a four-speed automatic and a five-speed manual.
The Second Generation (1998-2004) engine options were the 165 hp four and a 3.0 liter 212 hp boxer six. The same transmissions were offered as in the previous model. An Outback Sedan was also offered.
The Third Generation (2004-2009) saw the engine options greatly expanded because of differing demand in various markets. The base engine was still the 2.5 liter boxer four, now offered at 175 hp (130kW), but a turbocharged version was offered, coming in at 250 hp (186kW). The normally aspirated boxer six was also at 250 hp. A 2.0 liter 148 hp diesel was also available. Transmissions were a four and five speed automatics and a five speed manual.
The Fourth Generation (2009-) saw the boxer six boosted to 3.6 liters and 256 hp (191kW) and the addition of a CVT transmission as well as a five-speed automatic and six-speed manual.
A North American Fifth Generation model (2010-) was awarded the Motor Trend Magazine’s Sports Utility of the Year Award, a high honor indeed.
