IT has taken a while but the message has finally got through to the Japanese masters of Subaru.

For years we have been dropping hints, some not too complimentary, that Fuji needs to bring the quality of its Subaru range up to European standards. The pleas have pretty much fallen on deaf years... until now.

There were signs the message was getting through with the XV crossover but proof that common sense has prevailed can be found in the new Outback.

For the first time a Subaru can hold its head high against the best of the opposition. The cabin has been transformed with first rate trim, stylish inserts and bang up to date graphics.

Of course no new car would be complete without a central touch screen and that is a debate in itself. Safety conscious drivers say it is too much of a distraction and there are times when I agree, but like it or not this is the way forward for 21st century car so we are going to have live with it.

The Outback system will become a model for its top end cars and isn’t too complicated. Compared to the new Volvo XC90 tablet set up, it’s a doddle. 

At least you don’t have to select the screen menu to adjust the heating as there are good old fashioned dials for that task, and selecting a radio station through the screen is not too much of a faff and can always be done from the steering wheel controls. Pity we have to wait until next year for digital stations.

This is the fifth generation of Outback, a car that was arguably the first crossover, although the name had not been invented when it first appeared 20 years ago. It is a rugged estate car with a four wheel drive system that is the envy of some high class rivals, not that they would admit that in public.

Those rivals include Volvo XC60, Skoda Octavia Scout, VW Passat Alltrack and Audi A4 Allroad, none of whom can match Outback for cabin space, in fact it has as much rear legroom as the longer Audi A6 Avant.

But there is a lot more to Outback than just off road prowess and improved quality. Subaru has worked hard on the safety side, making the body more robust, firming up the suspension to sharpen the drive and introducing a raft of safety measures, something it calls EyeSight which uses two windscreen-mounted cameras to scan the road and traffic for potential hazards. 

Pre-collision braking where the car comes to a halt without driver intervention at up to 32mph is one of six EyeSight features and is new to Outback. It has been developed to avoid the sort of low speed shunt that can happen when a vehicle pulling away at a roundabout stops when you expected it to keep moving.

Adaptive cruise control allows the Outback to virtually drive itself. I activated it for about 15 miles on a busy main road, trailing the vehicle in front at a set distance, slowing and pulling away. All I did was steer and stayed alert in case the system let me down. It didn’t.

If the Outback has a weakness it is the engine range, or lack of it. The choice is 172bhp petrol or 147bhp turbo diesel, take it or leave it. The obvious option is the 2-litre diesel as it is far more economic and costs less in road tax.

Performance is on a par with similarly powered diesel rivals and the seven speed automatic I drove at the launch topped 48mpg on an 80-odd mile drive in rural Scotland. Now that is worth shouting about.

If we are looking for a key strength then off road ability is still a major part of the Outback’s CV. It has a good ride height and underbody protection for pulling horse boxes and the like across wet fields, while the X-mode all terrain system with hill descent makes it a lot safer if the going gets tough.

Prices are £28,995-£32,995 for the diesel and £28,495-£31,495 for the petrol. Road tax is £145 and £180 respectively.