Launches aplenty to mark Subaru half-century

TO MARK its 50th year on the Australian market, Subaru will celebrate the milestone with a range of special editions and several new variants next year, along with three new-generation models.

High on the wishlist are rugged versions of each Subaru SUV in the vein of North American ‘Wilderness’ variants and a more inspiring drivetrain for the Forester.

Speaking to Australian automotive media at Subaru Australia’s end-of-year wrap-up, managing director Blair Read confirmed that the brand will launch three new-generation models in 2023 (Crosstrek, Impreza, and Solterra EV) while expanding its existing line-up to include likely new variants such as the off-road-focused Outback and Forester Wilderness.

“We have some pretty exciting plans around some special editions (to mark the 50th anniversary of Subaru Australia) which we think will be really, really appealing to the Australian public, (as well as) some different variations on existing products,” said Mr Read.

Having successfully lobbied for a right-hand drive version of the turbocharged Outback to make its way down under, Subaru Australia is now working on being able to access North American market ‘Wilderness’ upgrades for the Outback and Forester from its Japanese production source, following plenty of interest from Australian customers.

Based on a series of hardware and visual enhancements that cover everything from increased ride height and protection to revised gearing and transmissions, Mr Read confirmed the likelihood of seeing these Wilderness models in Australia is “very strong” and may also include a Crosstrek version.

“So (turbo) Outback is here – that was our first job, big tick; (now we’re) working on our big wish list of what else we might bring,” he said.

Mr Blair described the Wilderness models as “a genuine chance” for Australia.

“We’re working closely with the team that support this market at the factory, so watch this space,” he said.

“We’ve heard from our customer base that that style of product – a bit more rugged – would have a great place in the market here and would be a great suit for the (Subaru) brand.”

A decision on whether the North American ‘Wilderness’ branding will translate to the Australian market has not yet been made but the overall style and ethos of these products is expected to be replicated here.

“We’ve still got to work through whether it’s the same (name); we obviously want to respect what they’ve done in their market, but yeah, very strong plans,” said Mr Read.

The comprehensive modifications made to North American Outback and Forester Wilderness variants – most of which are expected to feature on right-hand-drive Australian versions – are underpinned by significant increases in ground clearance.

In the Outback Wilderness, ride height increases from 213mm to 241mm, giving it a slight advantage over the Forester Wilderness that lifts from 220mm to 234mm.

The rest of the ‘Wilderness’ treatment includes front skid plates, bespoke bumpers with anodised copper accents and improved approach/departure angles, unique side-skirt cladding, matte-black bonnet panels intended to reduce glare, and a unique hero colour called Geyser Blue.

Inside is water-repellent ‘Star Tex’ honeycomb upholstery with copper stitching, ‘Wilderness’ headrest logos, anodised copper interior accents, charcoal headlining, front-view monitors and rear tailgates with embedded LED lighting.

Attempting to combat its greater overhangs, the approach angle of the Outback Wilderness increases from 18.6 to 20 degrees while the departure angle goes from 21.7 to 23.6 degrees. Its ramp-over angle improves from 19.4 degrees to 21.2 degrees.

Both Wilderness variants feature 17-inch Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tyres with greater sidewall height for improved absorbency, mounted on unique matte-black alloy wheels.

To improve the off-road capabilities of each model, Subaru has recalibrated their transmissions and lowered final-drive ratios, while the ‘X-Mode’ traction system gains settings for deep snow, sand and mud that allow for additional wheel slip to prevent bogging.

In the US, the Outback Wilderness features the 183kW/350Nm 2.4-litre turbo-petrol flat-four recently introduced here on the Outback XT, whereas the Forester Wilderness offers the same 136kW/239Nm 2.5-litre direct-injection flat four as most other Forester variants.

Subaru Australia has not discounted (or confirmed) whether a turbocharged Forester is also a future possibility, though only the Japanese domestic market currently offers a turbo version, producing 130kW/300Nm from its direct-injection 1.8-litre turbo-petrol flat four. These outputs are well below those of the new turbocharged Outback XT.

More likely is a technology and performance/efficiency upgrade to the existing Forester Hybrid.

Earlier this year, Mr Read said that work was being done to improve this crucial medium-SUV model and that its drivetrain would continue to be Subaru-specific rather than shared with Toyota, as had been rumoured.

While the next-generation Forester is still at least 18 months away, Mr Read confirmed that “advancements in (Subaru) hybrid technology are in the pipeline and are coming – in the short term – but I can’t tell you a timeframe yet.

“We would absolutely love advancement (with) Forester with hybrid – I think there’s a really strong place for that,” he said.

Subaru Australia’s plans for any specific ‘50th Anniversary’ editions remains under wraps, however the strengthening ties between Subaru HQ and its local importer (handled by Inchcape since 1992) would seem to provide plenty of opportunity for bespoke enhancements.

“It’s a strong working relationship – the work we do with the Subaru Corporation,” said Mr Read. “They’ve spent a lot of time down here lately, understanding the market.

“The team here are very passionate about the product and the brand, and there’s a really great energy around how the future looks. So there’s a lot of discussion on future opportunities – it’s [looking] really good,” he said.

Subaru officially launched in Australia in 1973 with its front-wheel-drive 1400 model range (called Leone in Japan) – comprising a four-door sedan and a two-door coupe (in GL and GSR guises). A 4WD 1400 wagon followed in 1975.