New Subaru Outback: on sale next month

The new Subaru Outback goes on sale next month, priced from £27,995, with a higher-quality interior and a range of new safety equipment, including automatic emergency braking.

Two trim levels are available across its two engines, and both manual and automatic transmissions are offered.

As well as a more elegant exterior design, the Outback has an improved interior with higher-quality materials and a new seven-inch touchscreen sat nav.

It's more practical than the model it replaces. The boot has grown fractionally to 559 litres and an electrically operated bootlid is available. Side steps are also fitted – these make it easier to load luggage on the car's roof rails.

Models fitted with Subaru's Lineartronic automatic gearbox feature EyeSight as standard. This technology uses cameras to scan the road ahead and can automatically brake the car should a potential crash be detected. This was one of the features that helped the Outback to a full five-star rating in the Euro NCAP independent crash-test programme.

One petrol engine is offered: a 174bhp 2.5-litre with an automatic gearbox. Its high fuel and road tax bills for mean that most buyers will probably choose the diesel instead.

The diesel Outback can return up to 50.4mpg versus 40.4mpg for the petrol and is available with both manual and automatic gearboxes. If you choose a manual, road tax is cheaper, too – its £145 bill is £35 less than the petrol's.

The Outback's steering and suspension have both been improved for more secure handling and all models feature torque vectoring – a system that brakes the inside wheels when cornering to improve stability. Its off-road credentials have been boosted with a new X-Mode function on automatic models. This is designed to improve low-speed grip.

SE and SE Premium trims are offered. The entry-level SE model features automatic headlights, cruise control, alloy wheels, an electrically operated driver's seat, sat nav, Bluetooth and a rear parking camera.

SE Premium adds keyless entry and push-button start, leather seats and an electrically operated bootlid.

2015 Subaru Outback prices