There are car launches where you spend the day driving around a perfectly maintained test track, following a bloke with a clipboard. This isn’t one of those. Instead, thanks to Subaru, this is the kind where you have keys, and a rally stage.
The latter is definitely more fun, and where we found ourselves for the launch of the Outback Wilderness Apex, joining the Sunraysia Safari with the somewhat unusual opportunity to follow rally cars through some of the event’s incredible stages.
The instructions were simple: keep the revs up in the sand and have a blast. We weren’t about to argue. At first glance, the Outback Wilderness Apex still looks as it should, albeit with a fair bit more of an off road feel.
It has the space, practicality and comfort that you would expect from the family-orientated wagon, but Subaru has given the Wilderness a much tougher personality. Extra ground clearance (240mm), symmetrical all-wheel drive and dual function X-mode feature.
So too does suspension, complete with e-dampers, designed to handle rougher terrain. It’s less about a fancy badge and more about substance. The Sunraysia Safari was a pretty good place to find out whether the off road pedigree actually works.
The first thing you notice once the bitumen disappears is how quickly the Outback settles into the rough stuff. Gravel, corrugations, ruts and uneven surfaces are dealt with, without the vehicle constantly feeling like its fighting the road.
Instead, it feels controlled and predictable, and that’s incredibly important when you’re travelling at considerable speeds over terrain that can change dramatically within a few hundred metres.
One moment you’re on a relatively smooth dirt section and the next you’re finding yourself in the sandpit you thought you left in kindergarten. Keeping those revs up (as we’d been told) was strangely liberating when it comes to exiting the grit.
Usually, the instinct is to back off when the surfaces get difficult but here backing off was exactly what you didn’t want to do. The range-topping Outback just worked, making light work of anything you could throw at it.
The 2.4-litre turbocharged boxer motor (194kW/382Nm), gearbox and suspension package combine to make it comfortable, rather than leaving you feeling like you’re driving a hardcore off-roader.
There was certain sections where I looked at the track ahead and wondered, but it coped. The most surreal part of the entire experience was seeing rally cars attacking the same environment, albeit at lightspeed compared to us novices.
Watching a race car disappear into a cloud of dust before reappearing further down the stage was impressive. Following them through the same stage in an Outback is something entirely out of this world.
It provided fascinating comparison between Subaru’s competition heritage and what the company is putting into their road cars. The Outback isn’t a dedicated rally car nor is it pretending to be one.
But driving through the same environment really gives you a much better appreciation for what the Subaru engineers have actually done. Traction, predictability and suspension control all matters.
When the road surface is trying its best to ruin your afternoon, having a vehicle that remains composed makes for a significant difference. The Wilderness Apex doesn’t encourage you to forget that you’re driving what is now more SUV than wagon either.
It simply makes you wonder why more of them aren’t this entertaining away from the bitumen. Obviously, the Outback isn’t a WRX and there isn’t a co-driver yelling pace notes at you.
You’re also unlikely to find yourself sliding sideways through a hairpin while wearing a helmet. But there’s something reassuring in knowing Subaru has a rally legacy. That it, and some of the tech behind it translates into models across their range, isn’t lost on us either.
The clever part of the Outback Wilderness Apex is that it doesn’t feel like it has sacrificed anything. After the rally stages finish, you can drive it home without feeling like you’ve just spent the afternoon in a mildly disguised piece of motorsport equipment.
It remains comfortable, practical and easy to live with. You’re getting a vehicle that is pretty much a Swiss army knife, and after putting it through its paces at an event like Sunraysia Safari, local supermarket runs will probably feel somewhat underwhelming.
Inside, tech comes in the form of a 12.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. USB-A and C ports are offered front and rear.
This variant gets wireless phone charging, a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio setup, while safety goodies include Subaru’s EyeSight system, and a whole host of driver assist functions. You also get 2100kg braked towing capacity.
Subaru’s confidence in its product – to let journalists throw it down rally stages with abandon – says plenty about the brand, and the faith it has in this vehicle. The location makes perfect sense too, showcasing the capability of its longstanding nameplate.
As far as giving a good first impression goes, the Outback Wilderness Apex is up there for comfort, practicality and capability, without needing to be a hardcore 4WD. Subaru backs it with a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty.
Alongside that is 5-years or 75,000km of capped priced servicing, and 12 months roadside assist. Priced at $62,690 plus on-roads, it comes in seven colours, including our favourites, Geyser Blue, River Rock Pearl and Deep Emerald Pearl.
You can find out more on the Subaru Australia website, or by talking to your local dealership. To get a good deal on this vehicle, chat to the team at MotorScout. 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 as part of the media launch for the Outback Wilderness Apex. Exhaust Notes Australia has not been paid to review this vehicle.
