Friday, August 13, 1999 —

rth Shore News - 25

THE Subaru Outback 2000 modet includes revised styling, a stronger, safer body structure, a redesigned 2.5 litre engine and a new rear suspension. The Outback’s
off-road performance doesn’t bob and weave like some SUV’s and pickup trucks. Thanks to Crocodile Dundee the Outback is instantly recognizable.

‘Outback

JIN another fifty years
when automotive histo-
rians Icok back at the
history of the Subaru
motor company, they’ll

‘probably divide the
“company’s fortunes into

two parts: pre-Outback

and. post-Outback.

“Until the Outback came

along in 1996, Subaru was a

relatively small, niche

automaker, struggling to com-
* pete with giants like Toyota

and Honda. The best thing
Subaru had going for it was
all-wheel-drive, a technology
thar Foyota, Honda, Nissan
and Mazda had already aban-
doned in their passenger cars,
leaving Subaru with the entire
market.

As sport-utility vehicles
gained in popularity, some-
body at Subaru had the bright
idea of jacking up the ride
height of the Legacy station
wagon, raising the roofline
slighdy, adding fog lights and
a reef rack, and calling it the

cf

Outback. The Outba

have the image and o

abilities of a SUV with the
advantages of’ car-like ride and
handling. .

Crocodile Dundee star,
Paul Hogan was hired to pitch
the Outback’s rugged, off-
road abilities — a job that he
still has teday.

The idea worked, and
Subaru’s sales skyrocketed
becoming the most popular
vehicle Subaru sells.

Now, after four and five
years respectively, the Outback
and Legacy were duc for a
redesign. Not surprisingly, the
Outback retains its trademark
hybrid car/SUV concept that
made it such a hit in the first

place.

In a nutshell, the 2000
Outback is bigger, heavier,
roomier, more powerful, det-
ter-equipped and more expen-
sive, The base Outback Wagon
now starts at $31,395, up
from $30,895 last year and
both wagon and sedan -
bodystyles are still available.
The fess-expensive Outback
Sport with a smaller 2.2 litre
engine is no longer offered.
Pity.

Major changes tc the
Gutback include an all-new
platform, revised styling, a
stronger safer body structure,
an extensively redesigned 2.5
liore SOHC four cylinder
engine and new rear suspen-
sion. Also changed for next
year are a redesigned interior
with new woodgrain trim,
optional side airbags, an
improved stereo system, a larg-
fF cargo area, a new roof rack
and better headlamps.

Dimensionally, the new
Outback Wagon is 40 mm
longer, 30 mm wider, and 25
mm higher. The wheelbase,

which often determines intesi-
or room, has grown by 20
mm. Ground clearance is the!
same 3t 185 mm, 25 mm
higher than the standard
Legacy.

Though it’s instantly recog-
nizable as an Outback, all the
Outback’s body panels are
new. Obvious spyling difter-
ences include larger headlamps
and taillamps, a new grille,
sculpted hood, side cladding
with three grooves, new fold-
ing power heated mirrors,
integrated roof rails; new alloy
wheels and larger 225/60R-
16 inch tires.

Under the hood is an
extensively redesigned 165
horsepower 2.5 litre horizon-
tally-opposed four cylinder
engine. Instead of dual over-
head camshafts it now has a
single camshaft per cylinder
bank and the air intake system
has been redesigned tor
improved low and mid-range
torque.

The 2.5 litre engine has
exactly the same ammount of
horsepower 3s before, but

mes bigger and better equ

more of it is available at lower
rp.m.s. In addition, the

Outback offers slightly better -

fucl economy and cleaner
emissions.

To reduce driveline-related
vibrations, the new engine is
connected to the transmission

by eight boles instead of four.
Like the previous Outback, the
new model has a longitudinal-
ly-mounted engine, transmis-
sion and all-wheel-drive unit
for superior lateral weight dis-

See Subaru page 28

Technical Data

Base price: $31,395
Freight charge: $450
Price as tested: §36,29:

Type: 4-door, 5 B enger station wagon
H

Layout: longitu

nal front engine /all-wheel drive

Engine: 2.5 litre 4 cylinder, SOHC, 16 valves
Horsepower: 165 @ 5,600 r.p.m.

Torque: 166 {b-ft @ 4,000 r.p.m.

Curb weight: 1,617 kg (3,565 Ib.)

eelbase: 2,650 mm (104.3 in.)
Length: 4,760 mm (187. 4 in.)
Width: 1,745 mm (68.7 in.)
Height: 1,580 mm (62.2 in.)
Cc. area: seat up 795 litres, seat down 1,942 litres
Fuel consumption:
City: 10.9 [/100 km (26 m.p.g.)
Hwy: 7.4 1/100 kin (38 m.p.g.)
Warranty: 3 years/60,000 km
Powertrain: 5 years/100,000 km

Q —e “La :
NO infin
Oman-one and you'll understaw

Arriving early Septeriber.
MSRP $47,950

REGENCY INFINITI _
1768 Surrard Street, Vancouver

(604) 739-7811 |" ° Den7A