The revisions to the Outback are pretty mild, and only serve to reinforce the model’s position in Subaru’s lineup. The departure of the sedan version is no great loss, and while we think overall the styling revisions are a nice refresh for the line, it may be a case of the Outback growing up a tad too much: when the co-worker who always wears jeans and a polo shirt comes to work in suit and power tie, it’s a bit jarring at first. For the Outback, the loss of its more colloquial styling into a mainstream crossover/SUV competitor is at the cost of its unique charm.

Photos courtesy of Subaru, Brian Chee