A special colour, in this case Geyser Blue, paired with some black touches, and green highlights make the 2025 Subaru Outback Sport Touring XT a good looking ride. But it’s the turbocharger and increased towing capacity that sets it apart from its siblings.
The latter sees a rise to 2,400kg (braked) and makes the Outback a genuine option for those looking to haul a caravan or boat. But first, back to those looks. The exclusive Geyser Blue is a brighter choice from the standard, more subdued colour tones on offer.
It helps the Sport Touring XT stand out a bit more on the road, while green highlights provide a bit of pop among the black roof rails and plastics. The rear includes a spoiler and garnish, connecting the tail lights, while the tailgate badging is also blacked out.
The car remains distinctly an Outback and very much a Subaru with the long, lifted wagon-like appearance shrugging off the competition with their much more boxy, generic SUV shapes.
It doesn’t shout about itself, with blacked out 18-inch wheels and a deceivingly car-like stance that masks its true capabilities. But part of what makes the Sport Touring XT appealing is that at $63,266 drive away, it’s exceptional value.
Inside, there’s an electric sunroof that mostly benefits the front row, and its leather covered eight-way adjustable seats. Those pews are heated and ventilated, and the driver’s benefits from dual memory settings and a manually adjustable thigh support extender.
The rear outer seats are heated as well, with decent room for their occupants. Smaller members of the family can make use of the three tether points and outer ISOFIX connectors for child seats.
Boot space is 522-litres. with a low and accessible entry via the automatic tailgate. The second row can be easily folded down in a 60:40 arrangement, opening up 1,627-litres of cargo area.
In what feels like a rarity these days, Subaru include a spare wheel under the floor, which could be a plus for some buyers. It’s good that at this spec level we have wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay too, and the connection is solid for the most part.
What is missing is a wireless charging pad, and while there are storage areas around that can hold a phone, these are a little on the small side for the many large smartphones people are using these days.
Thankfully, there are USB-C and USB-A ports both front and rear. Driving the Outback is easy, and the steering is a little more weighted than some of its competition. It’s very direct, with the added security of Subaru’s all-wheel drive system.
The steering wheel (which is also heated) is nice and familiar, as is much of the dash and infotainment setup, with its large, portrait oriented 11.6-inch touchscreen in the centre console.
Getting into apps and features through here is mostly easy and we found the screen was quite responsive. There are some tactile buttons allowing easy access to common functions like adjusting the temperature or the stereo volume.
Something else to appreciate is that getting back into the Outback, it remembers your previous climate control settings, even seat ventilation. Subaru didn’t skimp on the audio either, with a 9-speaker Harman Kardon system, with a subwoofer in the boot.
In another rarity, there’s a CD player in the centre console under the armrest, which is only available in the Touring, Touring XT and the Sport Touring XT. Much like some trims for the WRX, it’s refreshing to be able to buy a car that can still play physical media.
On the road, engine response is a bit deceiving as while there’s plenty of power delivery through the Lineartronic transmission, it can feel restrained initially, making us question whether this was in fact powered by a turbocharged engine.
A check under the bonnet, sans WRX scoop, confirmed that yes, there was a top mounted intercooler and the 2.4-litre turbo flat four under there. Air is channeled through a plastic scoop that runs from the front grille under the bonnet.
Being a ‘Sport’ model, we wouldn’t mind seeing the bonnet scoop here but maybe that’s not a family friendly look these days. Regardless, the engine provides 183kW and 350Nm and, once you’re used to it, works pretty well.
It’s also a decent power advantage over some of the competition. Subaru claim 9.0-litres/100km on a combined cycle for fuel consumption, and we managed mid 10’s in some properly hot weather, driving as a reviewer does.
Even with a CVT, there is a manual option that allows the driver to use paddle shifters to change gears. Si-Drive is available to improve throttle response and let’s not forget, because it will remind you, that there is a driver monitoring system.
Auto Stop/Start comes standard but can be disabled rather easily via the infotainment screen. Living up to its Outback name, should you end up “out there”, or just for those non-tarmac conditions, there are X-Mode off road driving modes.
These include Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud, which locks out the Si-Drive and adapts the throttle and gear ratios to improve traction. We found the auto-sensing wipers were a bit sensitive as the slightest spot of water droplets would activate them.
Being a Subaru, there’s plenty of safety features tied into the car’s EyeSight Assist Monitor, including adaptive cruise control, emergency lane keep assist, lane centering and lane departure prevention.
The mirrors include blind spot alerts, while there’s also lane change assist and rear cross traffic alert. A reverse camera with dynamic guides is provided, along with rear parking sensors.
A front wing camera can assist with positioning the front left wheel when parking or navigating tight spaces – on the left side at least. Of course there are features like speed sign recognition too, but thankfully Subaru’s implementation isn’t overbearing.
It has a 5-star ANCAP rating from 2021 and is backed by a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty, with optional service plans for three or five years. Twelve months roadside assistance can also be included.
The Outback is already a capable family car that offers a great package as a weekday workhorse or weekend escape vehicle. For a small sum, the Sport Touring XT allows you to show off a little personality and stand out from the rest.
You can find out more on the Subaru Australia website or by talking to your local dealership. To get a low rate finance quote, talk to Australia’s best reviewed car finance broker; Credit One. To see a great range of vehicles for sale, check out OnlyCars.com.au.
Our test vehicle was provided by Subaru Australia for independent review purposes.
