Subaru Outback 2020 first look: Tesla-style portrait screen, revised cabin

Car News
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Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
11 Apr 2019
2 min read

Subaru has released the first look (or glimpse, really) of its new 2020 Outback ahead of its offical debut at the New York Motor Show next week.

Just two photos have been released to date, one showing the lower front-end of the new Outback, and the other showing a tech-focused cabin with a giant 11.6-inch portrait-style infotainment screen in the centre of dash.

But before you get too excited, the car you see before you isn't necessarily identical to the cars we will eventually get in Australia, with an update to our Outback expected sometime in 2020.

North American cars are built in Subaru's Indiana plant in left-hand drive, while Australian cars are built exclusively in Japan. That said, the car you see here no doubt points to the design direction, and interior treatment, of future Australian versions.

While engine/gearbox specification is yet to be confirmed, the Outback is built on the US-spec Legacy platform, and so is expected to share that car's powertrain options. That would mean a choice between a 2.5-litre four-cylinder boxer engine and a 2.4-litre turbo. Both engines pair with a CVT transmission that send power to all four wheels.

How important is infotainment when you're choosing a new car? Tell us in the comments below.

Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
Andrew Chesterton should probably hate cars. From his hail-damaged Camira that looked like it had spent a hard life parked at the end of Tiger Woods' personal driving range, to the Nissan Pulsar Reebok that shook like it was possessed by a particularly mean-spirited demon every time he dared push past 40km/h, his personal car history isn't exactly littered with gold. But that seemingly endless procession of rust-savaged hate machines taught him something even more important; that cars are more than a collection of nuts, bolts and petrol. They're your ticket to freedom, a way to unlock incredible experiences, rolling invitations to incredible adventures. They have soul. And so, somehow, the car bug still bit. And it bit hard. When "Chesto" started his journalism career with News Ltd's Sunday and Daily Telegraph newspapers, he covered just about everything, from business to real estate, courts to crime, before settling into state political reporting at NSW Parliament House. But the automotive world's siren song soon sounded again, and he begged anyone who would listen for the opportunity to write about cars. Eventually they listened, and his career since has seen him filing car news, reviews and features for TopGear, Wheels, Motor and, of course, CarsGuide, as well as many, many others. More than a decade later, and the car bug is yet to relinquish its toothy grip. And if you ask Chesto, he thinks it never will.
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