While in the US, the Subaru Outback is offered with a naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter flat-four engine and a larger 3.6-liter six-cylinder unit, in China the latter engine will be replaced by a 2.0-liter turbocharged boxer.
The announcement has been made as Subaru prepares to launch the new Outback in China at the Guangzhou Auto Show. Subaru said the 2.0-liter turbo boxer engine with an unspecified output will be launched exclusively for the Chinese market. On the Subaru Forester, the 2.0-liter turbo flat-four engine produces 250 hp, so it will probably have a similar output on the Outback.
Judging from the only photo released by Subaru, the Chinese-spec Outback looks just like the US-spec model. However, the Japanese automaker says the product lineup “has been renewed in view of Chinese market’s demands.” We’ll find out what that means when Subaru releases full details of the Chinese-spec Outback. The model is expected to reach local dealerships before the end of the year.