Thereafter, we decided to head further up the farm where the all-wheel drive system provided prodigious grip and traction up some grassy slopes, while the ground clearance gave us excellent break-over angles with no scraping of the vehicle’s belly while ascending slopes. We arrived at our destination still fresh and the kids, who fell asleep, were amped up to explore the lush green lawns while the adults looked on and enjoyed a picnic. We then veered off the main road and onto the gravel road leading to Whispering Pines and the vehicle coped exceptionally well with dongas and ruts, showing little in the way of suspension crash. Surprisingly, the engine is economical as it returned 8.8l/100km on the open road and a worst figure of 10l/100km, but you can expect about 9.2l/100km with mixed driving, which is still exceptional for a vehicle of this engine capacity and dimensions. However, it is something that will not perturb owners as the transmission is actually quite adept outside of that condition. While it works seamlessly around town and open-road conditions, it is when you dip three-quarters into the throttle travel that the whining, elastic feel inherent of a CVT box does come slightly undone. That engine, even in what can be considered as an old-school, normally aspirated guise, is an honest and gutsy performer with ample torque from the get-go and works a treat with the standard CVT gearbox, which for someone who has vilified this transmission in other brands, surprisingly did not mind it in this application. The ride does tend to wallow slightly, but the upshot is it easily manages to dispense with potholes and rutted roads. Out on the road the Outback proved to be a comfortable, consummate open-road cruiser and the adaptive cruise control made short work of traffic and keeping to the speed limit. We took a short trip to Magaliesberg and a rustic retreat called Whispering Pines, which is located just outside of the main town. The rubberised interior and boot mats make for easy cleaning should there be spillages, which is almost a given with kids. That means plenty of bits and bobs you would ordinarily struggle to cram into a family sedan. We loaded the Scooby with a baby chair and all the paraphernalia that is required by a toddler and a seven year-old. This is exactly what the family and I decided to do over the past Easter weekend. The added ground clearance of 213mm means the model need not be confined to city dwelling, but is perfect to explore the unbeaten track, too. On test here is the 3.6-litre boxer engine we also sampled in the Legacy that is good for 191kW and 350Nm through a CVT (continuously variable transmission) to all four wheels. They might seem like minor updates, but they work well with what is still a modern design. In addition to the EyeSight system and new touchscreen infotainment screen that is also in the Impreza replete with Apple CarPlay, the Outback has also been given minor cosmetic updates such as the standard 18-inch alloy wheels across the range, foldable roof rails, new front and rear scuff plates, LED headlights and a slightly spruced up front grille. The electrically operated tailgate is also a great inclusion. This is mainly due to the wagon design that sees the standard 512-litre boot increase to 1 801-litrres with the rear seats folded forward. We were impressed by the Legacy we road tested some months ago, even without the new safety systems and the Outback has a similar disposition to its sedan sibling as it shares most of that car’s underpinnings, but ratchets things up with even more practicality. The latter is rather critical in our country where pedestrian road accidents are among the highest in the world and the vehicle will automatically brake should you get too close to them while driving.Īs part of updates for 2018, the EyeSight safety systems have also been offered in both the Legacy sedan and the subject of this road test, the Outback crossover. The EyeSight system works off two stereo cameras mounted on either side of the rear view mirror, which use images to determine any impending road obstruction, whether it be a car, motorbike, bicycle or pedestrian. The new XV, for instance, is a great proposition as it is not only built on the company’s new global platform, but has also seen a number of driver assistance safety items being offered under its EyeSight umbrella, including things such as Lane Keep Assist and a Pre-Collision Braking System. Yes the new Impreza may now be pandering to a more mainstream audience, but the rest of the range is excellent. Subaru seems to be doing a few things right with its current range of vehicles.
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