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2016 Subaru Outback Named To 16 Best Family Cars of 2016


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SEE ALSO: Complete List Of Top 16 Family Cars, With Data Links

CHERRY HILL, N.J., Feb. 5, 2016 -- Subaru of America, Inc. announced today that the 2016 Outback made Kelley Blue Book's 16 Best Family Cars of 2016 for meeting the needs of the modern family with emphasis on outstanding room for both passengers and cargo and excellent off-road capability. 

Kelley Blue Book, the leading provider of new and used vehicle information, extensively tested and evaluated 24 different vehicles for a two-week period focusing on safety, comfort, convenience, spaciousness for both passengers and cargo, and fit of various child safety car seats. 

"For two weeks we drove, lived-with, folded down-seats-of, paired phones-to and installed-baby-seats-in each and every one of the contenders," said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst of Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com. "We loaded cargo, contorted ourselves into third rows, watched movies on rear-seat screens, toted rowing teams to marinas – in short, we did everything that you and your family might do with a vehicle day-to-day."

The 2016 Outback is a deft blend of confident design, standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, spacious interior, award-winning safety technology, and exemplary fuel efficiency. 

The Outback offers over 104 cu. ft. of cabin space for passengers. The cargo area behind the rear seats provides 35.5 cu. ft. of storage and can open up to 73.3 cu. ft. with the standard 60/40 split fold-down rear seatbacks folded. The load floor is nearly flat, and rear seatback release levers in the cargo area enhance convenience. 

The core technology of the Outback is the Symmetrical AWD that takes input from acceleration, steering angle and multiple sensors to optimize traction and steering response when accelerating through turns and curves, particularly when the road surface is slippery.

Powered by Subaru's legendary BOXER engine, the Outback is available with 175-hp 4-cylinder or a 256 hp 6-cylinder. The 4-cylinder engine achieves a 25 MPG city/33 MPG highway EPA-estimated fuel economy rating. 

Both engines are fitted with Subaru's Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). The Outback continuously and smoothly adapts to performance demand by keeping the engine in its most efficient operating range.

Subaru's renowned safety engineering excels in all crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). 2016 Outback, equipped with the optional EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology, earned the 2016 TOP SAFETY PICK award and the 2016 TOP SAFETY PICK+ award from IIHS. 

The Outback features SUBARU STARLINK in-vehicle platform that provides hands-free connectivity and entertainment services. SUBARU STARLINK is designed to work seamlessly with the in-car head unit to provide smartphone integration and tap into nearly unlimited entertainment sources through apps.

In 2015, Subaru achieved seven consecutive years of record sales and exceeded 580,000 annual sales – a first in company history. The 2016 Outback exemplifies the "go anywhere" vehicle for its acclaimed Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive as well as numerous achievements in safety, drivability and durability. This proven combination helped push the Outback to new sales records.

About Kelley Blue Book Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry. Each week the company provides the most market-reflective values in the industry on its top-rated website KBB.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In Values and Fair Purchase Price, which reports what others are paying for new and used cars this week. The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies, and governmental agencies. Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com ranked highest in its category for brand equity by the 2015 Harris Poll EquiTrend® study and has been named Online Auto Shopping Brand of the Year for four consecutive years. Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc. is a Cox Automotive company. For additional information visit (www.kbb.com)

About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 620 dealers across the United States.  All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information visit media.subaru.com.