YOUR PERFECT CROSS-OVER CAR

SUBARU SANDTON’S OUTBACK XT

HQ had the opportunity to spend a morning with top showjumper, Jodi Pieterse, and Dealer Principal of Subaru Sandton, Scott Cawdry to find out exactly what the Subaru has to offer the equestrian community. We were quite simply and literally (more on this later) blown away by the experience!

THE SUBARU OUTBACK

The Subaru Outback is one of the most capable gravel road vehicles currently available. This should be relatively unsurprising given Subaru’s rally racing heritage; Subaru won the World Rally Championship Manufacturer’s title over three consecutive years from 1995-1997. They have harnessed and adapted all the technology required to secure those titles and produced a car that is not only safe and functional for farm life but can hold its own and give you some ‘voom’ in the city!

Jodi says, “It’s perfect for farm life because it does the dirt roads; you can throw your saddle and tack in the back (there is a lot of boot space!) and head off with your two-berth. Yet, at the same time it handles the city and gets you through the traffic so well.”

The Subaru Outback boasts an impressive, braked towing capacity of two tons, with a spacious boot providing extra safe storage for all your expensive equestrian equipment. According to Jodi, it ticks all the towing boxes, and has even handled the treacherous dirt roads around Sun Valley with ease.

It is permanent all-wheel drive, turbo-powered and boasts impressive safety and driver assist features.

As Subaru are focusing on petrol models, it is unsurprising that the Outback is a new generation Turbo Petrol model, making it a seriously powerful vehicle. This doesn’t only mean you have a capable towing vehicle, but a nippy city ride with that extra power for whenever you need it.

Despite being the priciest car on offer from Subaru, the Outback is still a hugely affordable alternative to the normal ‘equestrian’ cars. Not only this, but it comes all the bells and whistles as a standard package.

"That’s the key thing about the Subaru; you can feel fancy, smart and right at home in the middle of Sandton unlike most other ‘farm vehicles’, but still be farm smart out in the bush in the same vehicle. It is the perfect cross-over." - Jodi Fernandez

LET’S TALK ‘BELLS AND WHISTLES’

The new Subaru Outback’s all sport the following standard features:

• EyeSight Driver Assist Technology This technology is simply mindblowing! It monitors traffic movement and your surroundings providing:

1. Optimised and adaptive cruise control - It doesn’t only maintain your speed, but assists with adjusting your speed to maintain a safe distance from the car in front.

2. Pre-collision breaking - EyeSight not only warns you, but applies the brakes and can help you stop the vehicle before a collision.

3. Pre-collision throttle management - If you mistakenly put your car into drive instead of reverse, and EyeSight detects an obstacle in the way, it cuts the power to prevent you hitting it!

4. Lane departure warning - EyeSight watches for lane markers and warns you if you are departing from your lane.

5. It is the world’s first driver-assist technology that uses cameras to identify any suspicious activity around you and alerts you to this.

• Rain sensing front windscreen wipers.

• Dusk sensing and steering responsive headlights.

• Hands-Free tail gate (for when you are carrying all your tack and don’t have a free hand to open the boot).

• Reverse and front view cameras.

• Harmon Kardon Speaker System which includes 12 speakers in the cabin including a sub-woofer in the cargo area to ensure impeccable sound quality.

• Wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™️ integration, and wireless charging.

• 11.6-inch high-resolution touchscreen infotainment display.

• 8-way power adjustable front seats with seating memory function.

• Distraction mitigation system - This system uses facial recognition technology to monitor the driver for signs of fatigue and incorporates driver settings auto adjustment for up to 5 pre-programmed drivers. The adjustments also include infotainment, climate control settings and door-mirror adjustments.

• It is a permanent all-wheel drive, designed for a more stable and safe drive. It also saves those less car savvy from figuring out which button they need to press

to get themselves out of a sticky situation they might have found themselves in.

• The car features different offroad modes such as snow, mud and gravel which can be selected between in the relevant situations.

MAINTENANCE AND WARRANTY

The Outback comes standard with a 3 year/75,000km service plan and a 5 year/150,000km warranty with an option to extend the service plan 4yearr/100,000km, 5 year/150,000km, or 5year/120,000km. Rest assured that all new Subaru vehicles come with their comprehensive warranty and maintenance plan.

WHY THE SUBARU OUTBACK

When we asked Scott why the Subaru Outback was selected for Jodi he said:

1. Space – It has great boot space as well as cabin space.

2. Power – The new turbo engine lends itself to towing and has significantly more power than the often-selected cars. It is the most powerful Subaru at the moment, so the best suited for Jodi to tow the horses.

3. Safety – With all of its exceptional safety features, Jodi and her horses are safe on the roads.

JODI’S VIEWS ON THE OUTBACK

“I love its power; you know you always have the power behind you when you need it. I love the sound system; can I say that? It just puts me in a good mood; you can just jam along regardless of what is happening; I love the sound! (HQ: We’ll add here that the Subaru’s are fitted with Harman Kardon sound systems, so that should explain why the sound system makes such an impression). I love the sunroof; in fact it’s easier to say I just love all the extra bells and whistles and I just feel like a fancy person driving it!

To be perfectly honest, this car really suits my personality too! I can be a bit of a girly girl. Sometimes I want to wear a dress and high heels, and other times I’m the girl that goes with the manure and the boots, so, it really suits me perfectly as it suits both sides of my lifestyle all in oneSandton and the farm.

It’s quite a big car in terms having space for everything, but at the same time I never have an issue with traffic or getting in and out of parking spaces. It beeps at you if you are getting into trouble! It has cameras and sensors all around.

And the car gets me everywhere! I’ve gone through thick sand at the racecourse, down the treacherous dirt roads here in Sun Valley, and it’s even capable of driving all across the farm, into the arena, over curbs and through trenches!

It is also an incredibly comfortable car… And I have to mention, particularly during this heatwave, that the air-conditioning that comes out of the seat is a game changer. It doesn’t only have heated seating in the front seats, but seat cooling! The cooling is instant, and a feature that every horse rider will appreciate after a hot ride!" (HQ: We all had a sit in the car to experience the seat cooling and can attest to the fact that our lives will never be the same; we were ‘blown away’! The next Maple World Cup or Derby we will be hunting Jodi down for a sit in her car to cool ourselves off!)

OTHER SUBARU VEHICLES

While Jodi will be rolling in her shiny new Outback which is Subaru Sandton’s flagship vehicle, there are several other Subaru’s that might be of interest to the avid equestrian enthusiast.

Firstly, there is the Crosstrek which is your compact SUV cross-over; its named is derived from the words Crossover and Trekking, aiming to highlight the car’s capability and versatility across a range of terrains. The new Crosstrek also spoils you with the latest technological and safety features.

Then there is the Forester, SouthAfrica’s safest mid-sized SUV. It is larger and more 4x4 oriented, but still offers all the bells and whistles. If you are in the market for an exceptionally practical, luxurious, spacious and safe family vehiclethis is an option for you!

Finally, there is the Subaru WRX which is the sport/rally version of the vehicle. It is a car that is still being raced in the American Rally Association Championships. This sport-inspired sedan boasts intimidating power, balanced with the reassuring grip that Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive system provides.

THE SUBARU SANDTON SPECIAL

Subaru Sandton (ONLY) will be hosting an ongoing campaign for as long as Jodi is affiliated with the brand. Whoever comes into Subaru Sandton and quotes the name ‘Jodi/ Jodi Pieterse/Jodi Ambrose’ will be offered a special discount on a vehicle. Your specific discount will depend upon the Subaru you wish to purchase, the vehicle you are trading in and the purchase agreement. Be sure to head to Subaru Sandton ASAP to get your tailer made ‘Jodideal’ and discounted purchase.