Subaru Outback H6

It used to be (though sadly no longer) that a Jaguar was a proper Jaguar only when it had a twin-cam inline six-cylinder under its swoopy lid. The Chevrolet Corvette could only ever be a V-eight (although the very first car was a six) and a Lamborghini just has to be a V-12.

On a slightly more affordable level, Subaru has also made a certain engine architecture its own. From the very earliest days of the brand in this country, the Subaru model line-up has always been powered by flat-four engines.

Think of the original VW Beetle with its two pairs of cylinders laid flat with a common, central crankshaft and you've got the idea.

Now, of course, as Subaru scales the sales charts with renewed popularity, it has upped the ante after perceiving the need for a six-cylinder powered version of its Outback soft-roader.

But instead of opting for the trendy V-six layout, the company has gone all the way and developed a brand-new six-cylinder engine that still uses the horizontally opposed layout. It's not a new concept, Porsche has used flat sixes from the very first 911 back in the 1960s, and it's not even the first time Subaru has sold a flat-six here (remember the radically styled SVX of the 1990s?).

But in the case of the engine being fitted to the Outback, it turns what was already a pretty handy tow-car for smaller boats into the genuine article.

The Outback, for those who came in late, is a beefier version of the Liberty station wagon, complete with lifted suspension, tough-guy wheels and tyres and bodywork that suggests some military overtones; just perfect for the suburban warrior.

Of course, the car's real beauty is that it drives just like a Liberty wagon, which means it has safe, sure handling and good ride comfort.

The sure-footedness comes from Subaru's all-wheel drive system which also makes a snack of the greasiest boat ramps. It's a permanently-on system, too, so you don't need to juggle levers and switches and the full-time nature of the set-up gives the Outback tenacious grip at speed on the slipperiest road surfaces.

The six-cylinder version is called the Outback H6 and it builds further on the stability front with Subaru's Vehicle Dynamics Control as standard kit. By studying what each wheel is doing (relative to the others) and taking into account road speed, yaw angles and lateral G-force, the H6 can decide when too much power is too much and actively bring a slide under control, all without the driver twitching a toe. How it works when the tail starts wagging the dog (and we've all experienced that, right?) is anybody's guess, but it certainly keeps the Outback neat and tidy on gravel roads.

The engine itself is a three-litre unit which makes 154kW of power at 6000rpm and a handy 282Nm of torque at 4400rpm.

Self-levelling rear suspension helps the car's towing credentials even further. With nothing hanging off the tow-car, the Outback H6 is a comforting drive with plenty of urge for overtaking and making good progress, yet still fronts up pretty well even with a 16-footer or so hitched up.

Along with the engine performance, the all-wheel drive, self-levelling ride and dynamic chassis control make it a great bet for those of us who won't pay mooring fees.