2010 Subaru Outback
- Motor Trend's Sport/Utility vehicle of the
Year.
Subaru First Automaker with two
consecutive MOTOR TREND Sport/Utility of the Year
Titles Cherry Hill, NJ, October
15, 2009 -- Subaru of America, Inc. today announced that the Subaru Outback has
been named MOTOR TREND's 2010 Sport/Utility of the
Year®. The Subaru Outback's victory follows the Subaru Forester's win for the
2009 award, making Subaru the first automaker to win two consecutive
MOTOR TREND Sport/Utility of the Year®
awards. MOTOR TREND
editor-in-chief, Angus
MacKenzie, said "The 2010 Subaru Outback offers a unique combination of comfort,
efficiency, versatility and value. It boasts car-like refinement, drivability
and gas mileage on the road, yet is as capable in the rough stuff as all but the
most off-road focused sport utilities. Thoughtfully engineered, cleverly
detailed and competitively priced, the Subaru Outback is a terrific all-rounder
with broad
appeal."
"We are doubly proud and
honored to receive the MOTOR TREND 2010
Sport/Utility of the Year® award for the second consecutive year" said Thomas J.
Doll, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Subaru of America
Inc. "To win the 2009 award for the Forester was wonderful enough, but to have
won for the 2010 Outback this year is truly an outstanding achievement. The
Subaru Outback is an icon of performance and capability and was the original SUV
alternative. Now with its improved power, economy and increased dimensions it is
the complete package." Speaking to Subaru of
America's sales success as the top performing automaker of 2009, Doll noted,
"The success of our business is founded not only on our outstanding products,
but also on the commitment and dedication of our retail sales network and great
sales and marketing programs. We are absolutely thrilled that
MOTOR TREND has added their validation to the
Subaru brand." Priced from $22,995, and
produced at Subaru's zero-landfill plant in Lafayette, Indiana, the all-new
Subaru Outback is available with either a 170-hp 2.5-liter four cylinder boxer
engine or a 256-hp 3.6-liter six-cylinder boxer engine. The 2010 Outback is
built on an all-new platform featuring a 2.8-inch longer wheelbase (now 107.9
inches) that improves ride and interior space, especially rear seat legroom. The
2010 Outback also features increased hip and shoulder
room. Living up to Subaru's
legendary safety record, the Outback offers cutting-edge safety technology,
including Subaru's ring reinforcement safety system, front, seat-mounted side,
and side-curtain airbags and ABS. Subaru Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) system,
which incorporates stability and traction control systems with a roll-over
sensor, is also standard
equipment. The Subaru
Outback was recently named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute of
Highway Safety
(IIHS). To judge contenders for the
award, MOTOR TREND's editorial staff conducted an
exhaustive three-phase testing process. Phase one of the process includes a full
tech check and weigh-in, then full track testing to establish baseline data for
acceleration, braking, and handling. Phase two involves three days of road loops
offering a range of road surfaces and traffic conditions to evaluate ride and
handling, engine and transmission smoothness and responsiveness, wind and road
noise, and ergonomics. A dirt-track section tests traction, stability, and
braking control systems. In phase three the judges debate and deliberate. This
year, the editors updated and expanded the judging criteria to six new
categories: - Design Advancement - well-executed
exterior and interior styling; innovative vehicle packaging; good selection and
use of
materials.
- Engineering Excellence - total vehicle
concept and execution; clever solutions to packaging, manufacturing and dynamics
issues; cost-effective tech that benefits the
consumer.
- Intended Function - how well the
vehicle does the job its planners, designers, and engineers intended it to
do.
- Efficiency - low fuel consumption and
carbon footprint, relative to the vehicle's competitive
set.
- Safety - a vehicle's ability to help
the driver avoid a crash, as well as the secondary safety measures that protect
its occupants from harm during a
crash.
- Value - competitive price and equipment
levels, measured against those of vehicles in the same market segment.
MOTOR
TREND's Sport/Utility of the Year® is not a comparison test and
is only open to all-new or substantially upgraded vehicles that have gone on
sale in the 12 months from November 1 of the previous year. MOTOR
TREND looks for the pick of each year's crop of new SUV's, and
does not revisit vehicles that have been on sale for the past few
years. Other new options include a solar roof panel
that can power a ventilating fan when the car is parked, and electric air
conditioning that can be turned on for up to three minutes to cool down the
interior before getting in. To find out more on the new
2010 Subaru Outback, contact us here
or
call [866] 627-2353. |
