Motoring

M

MOTORING

Jim Barnett

Model Subaru Outback AWD Wagon. Pricing $39,990 to $47,790 plus ORC. Powertrain 2.5-litre (138kW/235Nm) Boxer four-cylinder engine, CVT transmission with eight-step manual mode, AWD. Fuel 91-98 RON, 63-litre tank capacity, 7.3 litres/100km (combined test). Tech USB ports front and rear, 2 x 12-volt sockets, DAB+ radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 11.6-inch HD touchscreen. Towing 2,000kg (braked) towing with 200kg maximum ball weight. Warranty/service Five-year unlimited-kilometre warranty, 12-month 12,500km capped servicing.

Model Ford Puma (compact SUV). Powertrain 1.0-litre (92kW) EcoBoost turbo three-cylinder petrol engine, FWD, seven-speed DCT.

Pricing From $29,990 plus ORC. Options include the $1,500 Park package which adds Adaptive cruise control, lane centring, active parkassist, front parking sensors and blind-spot detection.

Safety Five-star (ANCAP), six airbags, rear park sensors, LED running lights, tyre-pressure monitor, reverse camera, autonomous braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure.

Economy 6.3 litres/100km (combined test).

Luggage Between 410 and 1,170 litres, storage tray and emergency spare wheel.

Warranty Five-year unlimited-kilometre servicing warranty and $299 scheduled servicing first 60,000km.

Subaru Outback

DESIGN AND FUNCTION

The new sixth-generation Subaru Outback wagon is available in three model variants: Outback AWD, AWD Sport and top-spec AWD Touring. Each features a revamped and more powerful 2.5 litre four-cylinder Boxer engine coupled to a revised CVT transmission.

Body changes are minimal but there’s plenty of new cladding to give Outback a more purposeful appearance. An active grille shutter maintains correct running temperatures and AWD and Touring models feature innovative roof crossbars conveniently stored in their large roof rails.

DESIGN AND FUNCTION

The new European-sourced compact Ford Puma measures up for trendsetters who want a connected urban SUV. But its entry price, $29,990 (plus ORC), is at the higher end and makes it more expensive than some rivals.

It has a lot to offer: a bold grille, bulging front guards with bug-eye LED headlights, 17-inch alloys, a sloping roofline and bulging rear tailgate with lip spoiler.

Puma’s youthful interior features a stand-alone eight-inch colour touchscreen with voice-controlled sat nav, DAB+ radio, quality reverse camera, Bluetooth connectivity, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Smart cloth trim with contrasting stitching features on seats and doors. Front seats are comfortable. The top-spec model even scores a massage function.

Puma’s 60/40 rear seat is fairly compact but will fit two adults with sufficient headroom. Legroom, however, is tight.

The rear tailgate reveals 410 litres of cargo space with a large plastic bin concealed under the floor, perfect for stowing wet gear. Folding the rear seat provides up to 1,170 litres of cargo space.

Ford has endowed entry Puma with plenty of tech, including wireless smartphone charging, a FordPass modem which provides smartphone access to service history and the like, and a suite of driver-assistance and crash-avoidance technologies, including traffic-sign recognition.

DRIVING

Powering Puma is Ford’s awardwinning 1.0-litre turbocharged EcoBoost three-cylinder petrol engine which drives the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Surprisingly smooth and quiet, this little engine produces a credible 92kW of power and 170Nm of torque. It never feels stressed and will do anything demanded of it.

Puma’s steering feels good and the spot-on suspension tune provides an excellent combination of supple ride along with confident cornering.

The small thick steering wheel has buttons for cruise control, steering assistance and trip computer. A 4.2-inch TFT display between the gauges offers a host of information including a digital speedo and speed-sign recognition. Auto enginestop (designed to save fuel when stationary) can be overridden by a button on the console.

Five selectable drive modes (Normal, Sport, Eco, Slippery and Trail) are available at the push of a button. But Puma is FWD only, so Slippery and Trail are really about avoiding wheel spin on slippery roads as opposed to giving it off-road ability.

Swish and roomy For trendsetters

New Outback is another example of the Subaru ability to craft swish interiors. Comfortable front and rear seats offer plenty of legroom and headroom.

The driver-focused dash layout is superb. Its new 11.6-inch high-definition touchscreen is a standout. Fully integrated into the central fascia, this portraitoriented unit controls many of the car’s functions, negating the need for heaps of switchgear.

Accessed through a wider tailgate, the cargo bay’s flat floor offers between 522 and 1,267 litres of space. Dropping the 60/40 rear seats is by the convenient means of cargo-bay or seat-fitted buttons. All models score a full-size spare wheel.

All Outback models have eight airbags and an advanced version of Subaru’s EyeSight driver-assist, driver-attention and collision-avoidance technologies.

New features include autonomous emergency steering, lane-centring function and lane-keep assistance. And the speed-sign recognition can be linked with the intelligent speedlimiter to comply automatically with displayed speed signs.

DRIVING

All models feature push-button entry and start along with a poweradjustable driver’s seat. Ample seat and steering-wheel adjustment deliver a good driving position with good visibility.

Drivers are kept fully informed with a central multi-function display (between the gauges) which provides essential information including a digital speed readout.

The new central touchscreen features easy-to-use menus for numerous functions including audio, sat nav (where fitted), climate control, X-Mode (off-road) settings, service information, auto engine stop and safety settings. Once adjusted, these can be saved for individual drivers.

The revamped Boxer engine delivers smooth, quiet and efficient power in most circumstances with engine noise only evident at high revs.

Its CVT transmission (one of the better CVTs tested) goes about its business with a minimum of fuss and delivers drivers an eight-speed manual mode via convenient paddle shifters.

With a lower centre of gravity than an SUV and its AWD system, Outback provides confident cornering along with a comfortable ride and superior rough-road performance.

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