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Subaru Southern Africa has introduced a five-year/105,000km full maintenance plan on all new Subaru vehicles, replacing the previous three-year/75,000km plan. The company says the move is aimed at strengthening the ownership proposition and customer care.Subaru made its name on the World Rally stages with the WRX Impreza range, winning multiple drivers’ and constructors’ championships in the process. The company has largely shifted away from motorsports to focus on building family wheels. Subaru Southern Africa MD Toshimitsu Tanaka recently hosted a media day where we drove various cars from its model range at the African Dream Adventure ADA venue in Hartbeespoort. Products on offer included the Crosstrek, Outback and Forester models. Tanaka says Subarus shouldn’t be viewed with a regular eye. They are foremost built with safety and reliability as priorities and equipped with a host of electronic accident mitigation and driver assistance technologies. The symmetrical all-wheel drive system fitted across the range is a company hallmark, with equal-length driveshafts connecting all four wheels. The flat-four engines are another company signature. The range is aimed at lifestyle-orientated buyers seeking premium crossovers that combine everyday practicality with genuine off-road capability. The Subaru Forester tackles the high-speed gravel gymkhana. (SUBARU SA) The convoy left the Edenvale headquarters and headed west via the M1 North towards Hartbeespoort. My driving partner and I opted for the 4,850mm long Subaru Outback for the trip, an SUV sold in a three-model range.It’s designed for families and loading cargo through the 522l boot extendable to 1,267l. The car is sensible for anyone not wanting to follow the SUV herd but requiring family functionality, and roof racks are standard fitment. The Outback range that’s powered by a 138kW and 245Nm-producing 2.4l four-cylinder Boxer petrol engine mated to a CVT has a sumptuous ride quality and hushed operation, though its power delivery felt a bit underwhelming on steep sections of the route. Amenities are plentiful, though, and we used the crisp sound system and active cruise control. The smaller Crosstrek crossover is just as adept off-road as its cousins. (SUBARU SA) After arriving at the venue, we drove the vehicle into a deep ditch. It scaled the obstacle with ease thanks to the standard 213mm ground clearance and AWD system. We then proceeded over more obstacles, including a muddy axle twister, and the Outback soaked it all up. We also took the more compact Crosstrek AWD through the same path, and it too aced the test. The Crosstrek and its larger Forester cousin were also taken through their paces at a gymkhana laid out on a sand skid pan where their cornering speed, poise and the safety systems came to the fore. The seventh-generation Subaru Outback launches in SA later in 2026. (SUBARU SA) The company also wheeled out the all-new and now larger seventh-generation Subaru Outback ahead of its launch in South Africa before year-end. The model that’s already on sale in other markets is improved through an increase in dimensions and ground clearance.It retains symmetrical AWD and will be available in 2.4l and turbocharged 2.5l four-cylinder boxer engines. Advancements include a new 12.1-inch touchscreen centre display and a 12.3-inch full digital driver’s gauge cluster. It also benefits from a new-generation EyeSight driver-assist system, hands-free highway driving up to 130km/h and an X-Mode terrain response system.
