2023 Subaru Outback XT already sold out for five months
The turbocharged Subaru Outback XT is already facing wait times of five months – as the first examples roll into showrooms.
The first turbocharged petrol Subaru Outback ever offered in Australia is already sold out until the middle of this year – before any customers could take a test drive.
Subaru Australia says pre-orders for the Outback XT since they opened in September 2022 "exceeded expectations", which managing director Blair Read told Drive translates to a four- to five-month wait on new orders.
While the car maker would not confirm an exact number, a Subaru Australia spokesperson said – once initial demand is cleared – current non-turbo variants are "likely [to account for] the majority" of Outback sales, of which 9739 were reported as sold last year.
While the turbo Outback is facing wait times, Subaru says there is showroom stock of the standard non-turbo Outback – if buyers are flexible on colour and model grade.
Due in showrooms now, the Subaru Outback XT is the first turbocharged petrol version of the nameplate to be sold in Australia, and the indirect successor to the previous-generation, six-cylinder Outback 3.6R.
Available in Sport and Touring model grades – at a $5000 premium over equivalent non-turbo models, and starting from $52,190 plus on-road costs – the XT uses a 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with 183kW and 350Nm.
Those figures are up 45kW and 105Nm over the standard 2.5-litre non-turbo motor (138kW/245Nm), but down 10kW/25Nm on US-market Outback XT models, and 19kW down on the latest WRX.