IF YOU listen carefully to Subaru's new turbo-diesel Outback you'll hear the sound of silence, well almost.
The new boxer diesel engine, a first for Subaru, is the quietest in its class and commendably smooth and spirited.
- IN A WORD
- Make: Subaru
- Model: Outback 2.0D
- Price: From $40,490
- Road test: JOHN PARRY
From the outside, the characteristic diesel rattle is subdued and from the inside, there is little more than a muted knocking under load.
For the driver, the two-litre engine brings a different type of diesel experience.
It's a hybrid, blending some of the low-speed pull of a diesel with the free-revving nature of a petrol.
Armed with common-rail direct injection and the latest in soot filters, the engine produces 110kW at 3600rpm and 350Nm at between 1800 and 2400rpm, figures that compare favourably with rivals.
But it's a short-stroke design so it relies more on revs than the low-speed pull of a traditional longer-stroke diesel.
So while it doesn't lug as readily from low revs as some of its rivals, it makes up for it mid range and at the top end. Drivers stepping out of a rival diesel will find they need to rev it a little more while those stepping from a petrol engine won't have to rev it as much.
Either way, they'll find the Outback gets off the line smartly, delivers strong and linear mid-range response and cruises at a relaxed 1800rpm at 100km/h, right at the start of the torque zone.
It reaches 100km/h from rest in just under 10 seconds, a fraction slower than the 2.5-litre petrol Outback.
Fuel use on test was six litres/100km over a urban country loop a little better than the official combined figure of 6.4 litres/100km.
This gives a range in excess of 1000km from a 65-litre fuel tank.
Gear ratios in the six-speed manual are faultless. Helping drivers find the most economical ratio is a blinking arrow on the gear ratio readout. It suggests an upshift at lower revs than most drivers would anticipate.
The switch to a cable linkage in the gearbox, in order to fit the sixth gear ratio, has produced a spongy feel although the test car's linkage felt more precise than experienced on an earlier launch drive.
Also new is an electronic park brake awkwardly positioned low down on the right side of the steering column. Fortunately, it comes off automatically when the clutch is released and the accelerator depressed.
In addition, an electronic hill holder operates when the incline is greater than 5 per cent.
Towing capacity is 1700kg, or 200kg more than a Liberty but 300kg less than an X-trail and Tiguan, reflecting the Outback's trimmer 1551kg mass.
The Outback diesel costs $2500 more than comparable petrol versions.
There are three versions, the 2.0D at $40,490, the Premium at $43,990 and the Premium with sat nav at $46,490.
Standard equipment includes seven airbags, stability control, climate control, six-disc CD audio, cargo blind, fog lights, leather-trimmed steering wheel with audio and cruise control buttons, trip computer, seatback storage nets, self-levelling rear suspension and DataDot security.
The Premium adds a sunroof, leather trim and rear air vents and the Premium with sat nav adds navigation, a reversing camera, a DVD and single CD player and Bluetooth.
