Subaru just revealed its all-new 2020 Outback, and it looks awesome. Here’s what we know about the 2020 Subaru Outback.
The Subaru Outback continues its legacy of offering the perfect blend of SUV capabilities and car-like ride and handling with an all-new 2020 model. The 2020 Outback is the sixth generation of this beloved adventure vehicle.
Subaru Rugged Good Looks
The 2020 Outback builds on the rugged good looks of its predecessors. Subaru calls this design language the Active x Tough concept. The new vehicle has a taller rear hatch and more aggressive front body cladding. It also has wider, more aggressive fenders, a larger hexagonal front grille, and some distinct LED fog lights at the corners.
Inside the new Outback, it feels more spacious with a widened windshield; long, straight lines that flow from the dash into the doors; and overall more room for passengers and gear.
More Room
You’ll find increased rear head, shoulder, and leg room in the new Outback. You’ll also find a massive 78-inch cargo floor, with the rear seats folded down. That’s even plenty of room for my 6’3″ body to lie down for a nap.
With 75.7 cubic feet of cargo space and a wider rear gate opening, there is also plenty of room to haul lots of adventure gear. You can also get an optional hands-free power gate. Just wave in front of the Subaru emblem on the gate, and it automatically opens. If your gear won’t fit inside, you can always strap stuff to the roof with the standard roof rails, which have integrated and retractable crossbars.
2020 Brings More Power
We now get two Subaru Boxer engine options in the new Outback: a 2.5L and a 2.4L turbocharged option. Both engines are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, with paddle shift manual mode. All 2020 Outbacks also come standard with Subaru’s legendary symmetrical all-wheel drive.
The standard engine is the naturally aspirated 2.5L that we’ve all come to know and love but has been upgraded with nearly 90 percent new parts and direct injection. The 2.5L now puts out 182 hp and 176 pound-feet of torque. This engine also gives you more than a 600-mile range on a single tank of fuel in the new Outback. Estimated fuel economy is 26 mpg city and 33 mpg highway.
For the first time since 2009, the Outback also gets a turbocharged option. The 2.4L turbocharged Boxer engine, which now comes standard on all XT models, offers up 260 ponies and a whopping 277 pound-feet of torque. This engine will be fun to play with on those backcountry roads! It also offers up an impressive 3,500-pound towing capacity, the most of any Outback ever. The 2.4L turbocharged engine should also be good for 23 mpg city and 30 mpg highway.
Subaru Outback Refined Ride
Subaru has gone to great lengths to make its vehicles fun in all conditions while offering a smooth, refined ride for everyday use around town. The 2020 Outback gets an all-new suspension system that is said to be “lighter and more responsive.” The new suspension coupled with an over-70-percent-stiffer chassis should make the new Outback even more fun to drive in a spirited manner.
On top of the driving dynamics, Subaru has also gone to great lengths to make the cabin a truly nice place to be. The combination of a lot of little updates has made the cabin 3 decibels quieter on the highway. Combine that with new high-quality multimedia sound system options, and you’ve got a great road trip machine.
Big Screen for the Win!
Standard in all but the base trim, the new 11.6-inch HD touchscreen STARLINK multimedia system properly updates the Outback’s interior and technology package. To take it up another notch, and for the first time in an Outback, an in-vehicle Wi-Fi hotspot is available.
2020 Outback: Safer All the Time
Safety is built into every part of the new 2020 Outback. The new body can absorb 40 percent more energy from front and side crashes. That’s a big improvement! The Outback will also come with eight standard airbags, including a driver knee airbag.
The 2020 Outback is packed with safety technology as well. It now comes standard with EyeSight driver-assist technology, which includes advanced adaptive cruise control with lane centering. A standard DriverFocus distraction-mitigation system uses an infrared camera and facial recognition technology to identify signs of driver fatigue or distraction, and then provides audio and visual warnings to the driver and passengers.
While it comes with all of that standard, there is even more optional safety equipment available. Optional driver-assist technologies include LED steering-responsive headlamps, reverse automatic braking, blind spot detection with lane-change assist and area cross traffic alert, and EyeSight Assist Monitor with a heads-up display.
Another first for the 2020 Outback is a front-view monitor. The system shows a 180-degree view in front of the vehicle on the 11.6-inch multimedia screen. This allows the driver to see things in the parking lot or on the trail that are up close and personal or in the forward low blindspots of the vehicle.
The Ultimate Outback
The 2020 Onyx Edition XT might just be the ultimate Outback. It sports black exterior accents, custom badging, and 18-inch alloy wheels. The interior has an exclusive two-tone gray color scheme and features seats wrapped in a new “water-repellant durable StarTex” material. On top of all that, you also get the 2.4L turbo engine, power gate, front-view monitor, a full-size spare, and exclusive Dual-Mode X-MODE.
2020 Subaru Outback: Availability & Pricing
Expect to see the new Outback on dealer lots this fall. No pricing has been released just yet, but we’d expect it to be just a small premium on the current vehicle’s pricing structure.
We’ll keep you updated on all things Subaru Outback as we hear more — and hopefully get behind the wheel of this new adventuremobile.
