First look Subaru Outback

Subaru admits the Broadmeadows hero is one of the targets for its all- new Outback wagon, which has just been unveiled in the USA as the sidekick to the new Liberty.

The Outback will look a little different by the time it gets to Australia, but the basics and particularly a bigger new cabin and an enlarged 3.6-litre engine will be just the same.

Subaru Australia is promising to push hard on prices, after boosting the value of its all-new Impreza last year, but is not talking details yet.

"The Outback displayed at the New York show is obviously for the US.

There are some styling cues that we won't see here - the overt SUV stuff," says the managing director of Subaru Australia, Nick Senior.

"Ours is probably a little more . . . restrained."

The Outback will join the Liberty in Australia in September and both, according to Senior, are crucial.

"They are both important. I think, from a brand point of view, Subaru has been defined by the Liberty.

"This is 20 years. It's two decades of Liberty and in that time it's had strong customer advocacy and a lot of awards.

"We are going to play in an important segment of the market. It's a new car and it addresses some of the issues raised in customer feedback. One of those is interior room, so it's a lot roomier and it's a lot more fuel efficient."

Early details of the Outback point to a car with a longer wheelbase, a bigger cabin, improved ground clearance, power of 190kW from the 3.6-litre six, and a six-speed manual on both the four and six.

The basic body is stiffer, just like the Liberty, which should mean improved safety and less noise inside.

"The Outback, again, has significantly more interior space.

Particularly rear legroom," says Senior, before pointing to a Ford challenge with the car.

"That opens the opportunity for us, particularly in Australia, to look at conquest sales. And not just from our traditional competitors but potentially from some of the local manufacturers.

"We'll have a 3.6-litre engine fed by normal unleaded and, particularly in rural areas, that is where I see an opportunity."