Subaru's Outback has never sold in huge numbers here in the UK - indeed, to city-dwellers, they're automotive hens' teeth.
However, leave the lights behind and travel to pastures greener, and you'd be hard pushed not to see an Outback hauling a horse box or parked outside the Fox and Hounds splattered with mud.
It's largely this country set who keep the Outback name alive in the UK, but Subaru hoped the interest in it would expand further with this generation car, although thus far it seems those in the city are reluctant to take the plunge.
Gone are the days of the cripplingly strong Japanese Yen, too, so the Outback is now more competitively priced against rival off-road estates than ever. The Subaru is slightly more expensive than the Skoda Octavia Scout, Seat Leon X-Perience and the Volkswagen Golf Alltrack, however tellingly, far cheaper than the Volvo V90 Cross Country and Mercedes-Benz E-Class All Terrain.
How does the Outback stack up?
The 2015 upgrade of the Outback brought with it the addition of a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre petrol engine, although the 2.0-litre boxer diesel is expected to be the big seller. Among the significant changes for this model are a quicker steering rack, new dampers and suspension geometry, and a redesigned interior complete with new multimedia system.
Measuring 4.8m long, 1.8m wide and 1.6m high, the Outback can be characterised as being more estate than SUV (just), and you can argue that it competes with a vast array of different four-wheel drive models.
Owners of the current Outback won't be disappointed. There remains a huge amount of space inside for four adults and the cabin quality retains its functional feel, but the materials are improved and the switchgear feels slicker than before.
The Outback's boot is bigger, now 559 litres, and aside from some slight wheel arch intrusion, its flush lip and wide opening make it one of the more practical examples on the market. The rear seats can be split 60/40 and lie almost flat, too.
You tend to sit on the driver's seat rather than in it, but even the lankiest drivers won't have an issue getting comfy. The dash is now dominated by Subaru's brand new infotainment system, which consists of a 7.0in touchscreen flanked by menu buttons.
It's bright, responsive and a vast improvement on what went before, even if some of the onscreen buttons are a tad small. It's nice to see it's included on every car, with its integrated sat-nav as a standard feature, too.
