Subaru introduced the third generation of the Outback in 1999, and just three years later, it came with a facelifted version, which was kept until 2004.
The Legacy Outback was ahead of its times. It was a high-lifted version of the Legacy, and it appeared on the market in 1994. Five years later, Audi introduced their version of a lifted model for the A6 Avant, which was named Allroad. But Subaru was relentless and came at the same time with a completely new vehicle, the Subaru Outback. While it lost the “Legacy” part of the name, it became a stand-alone model, even though most of its parts were shared with other Subaru vehicles.

It was unusual for a carmaker to introduce a facelifted model in such a short time since the car’s launch. The second generation of the Outback was based on the third generation of the Legacy, and it was available in both shapes: sedan and estate, but the latter was the most successful version. The 2002 model-year featured improved stone protection thanks to wrapped around bumpers and plastic panels on the lower parts of the doors. In the rear, the cut-down bumper left more room for the tailgate.

Inside, the 2002 Outback featured new equipment such as the CD-cassette-radio. Depending on the trim level, two-tone leather upholstery was available, and some wood-trims on the dashboard and door panels. A Momo steering wheel was on the options list as well.

The biggest change was on the technical side, where Subaru installed its 3.0-liter Boxer engine. It was paired to the well-known symmetrical all-wheel-drive system or to an enhanced VDC that transferred the most torque to the wheel with the best traction.