Subaru New Zealand has pulled down the prices of its 2015 Outback station wagon range by between $5000 and $7000 to pretty much match those of the discontinued Legacy wagon.
The Legacy wagon has been phased out of production world-wide and the new Outback effectively replaces it. The Legacy carry-all was a victim of the international success of Subaru models like the Forester and Tribeca, along with the previous Outback.
“The new Outback now offers the traditional Legacy wagon driver an SUV-capable vehicle with superior driving dynamics,” said Subaru NZ managing director WallisDumper.
“Legacy itself was probably more appealing to the SUV-inclined buyer back in the 1990s before the term SUV was even invented, so for many years we have watched the march to SUVs as Legacy customers moved to Outback.”
The new Outback goes on sale in NZ this month, starting with the 2.5-litre petrol Sport model at $44,990. It replaces the previous Outback Sport, which retailed at $49,990, and the Outback Tourer, which at $45,990 had a lower specification than the 2015 Outback.
The 2.0-litre Outback diesel is now $47,990, Diesel premium is $54,990 and the range-topping 3.0-litre six-cylinder Outback 3.6R Premium is $59,990. That’s reductions of $7000, $5000 and $5000 respectively over the previous models. The engine in every Outback is mated to a seven-speed continuously variable transmission, or CVT, with manual-mode paddles on the steering wheel.
“The strength of the dollar against the Yen and recognition from Subaru Japan that Legacy wagon has been a very important model for us for 25 years now has resulted in the competitive pricing,” said Dumper.
“I believe our Legacy wagon buyers will be pleasantly surprised by the new Outback. It has a host of chassis, suspension and steering refinements and drives as well as any previous Legacy wagon,” he said. “And it has the added advantage of more ground clearance to offer a host of recreational opportunities like the real SUV it is.”
Like all Subarus, Outback has constant all-wheel drive, in this case fitted with so-called X-Mode to optimise things like throttle control in sticky situations. There is also the new-generation EyeSight system with adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking, lane-departure warning, and brake light recognition of the vehicle in front.
An all-new infotainment system provides onboard information and entertainment, including speech recognition across a wide range of key functions. Models with satellite navigation also feature a traffic function in the five main urban areas, Auckland, Tauranga/Mt Maunganui, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch with real-time traffic updates and live re-routing recommendations.
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