The 2026 Subaru Outback was unveiled at the New York Motor Show, which looks more like an SUV than to venture the high-riding that it has always been.
Subaru will produce the new outback in Japan, including the more robust wilderness that was previously only produced in the US. The new generation model is not made in the US at all.
We have contacted Subaru Australia to confirm when the new generation Crossover will be introduced in Australia.
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It will be launched in the US at the end of 2025, with the more robust wilderness that follows at the beginning of 2026.
The new outback of the seventh generation will be offered with a choice of two petrol engines, such as the outgoing model, both of which are linked with a continuous variable transmission (CVT) with a manual shift mode with eight artificial gears.
All models now also have the symmetrical four -wheel drive system from Subaru and a faster central differential lock than before, while wilderness models have new electronically controlled dampers.
The basic engine is a naturally sucked up 2.5-liter flat-four with 134 kW power and 182 Nm of torque, while a 2.4-liter turbo charger is also available with 194 kW and 376 Nm.
Only the latter is offered in the wilderness.
A hybrid powertrain has not been mentioned, although it is likely that Subaru will eventually introduce one.
The ‘regular’ outback has 221 mm of ground freedom – the outgoing model has 213 mm in Australia – while the wilderness pushes this to 241 mm.
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Interior
Off-road corners are as follows:
| 2026 Subaru Outback | 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness | |
|---|---|---|
| Angle | 18 degrees | 20 degrees |
| Breakover -Hoek | 19.4 degrees | 21.2 degrees |
| Departure angle | 21.4 degrees | 22.5 degrees |
The styling is then before, with a more upright front fascia and a flatter only 51 mm higher roof line. In the front there is also a larger grid that has large black ‘Subaru’ letters on the wilderness.
Wilderness models also have matte black exterior mirrors and upholstery, plus a restyled front bumper, hexagonal fog lights and various anodized copper finish outdoor accents.
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Outback Wilderness
19-inch alloy wheels are newly available on some outback variants, although the wilderness is only offered with Mat-Zwarte 17S in Bridgestone Dueler All-Terrain tires.
Although it has not released complete dimensions, Subaru says that there is more freight and passenger room than before.
Subaru claims that there is 980 l luggage space, an increase of 57l thanks to a 51 mm longer loading area. There are tie-down points for equipment.
In the freight bay there is also a washable Tonneau lid made from recycled materials that can be used as a partition to protect pets or to cover the rear bumper to prevent scratches.
The standard raised roof rails have a static load capacity of 363 kg and a dynamic load of 100 kg.
The company also claims that for the first time ever on one of its vehicles it can have a lateral loading capacity assessment of a maximum of 100 kg of the sides of the cross bars, so that you can hang a hammock or washing line.
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Outback Wilderness
Inside, all outback models, including the wilderness, have a 12.1-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, powered by a new processor that promises a greater response.
The touchscreen returns to a landscape -oriented format and grows from 11.6 inches and has a vertically oriented shortcut and cloud -based speech recognition.
Prior to the driver, a new 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with different display modes, including a card display and a quiet mode aimed at minimizing the distraction of the driver.
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Interior
Subaru has returned to a traditional array of climate control with buds and buds, while storage includes larger bottle holders in the doors and “more accessible” cup holders – the latter now on the side of the shifter.
The X mode switch, with which you can select different terrain modes, has been moved to the steering wheel.
Wilderness models have exclusive water-resistant Startex cladding and more anodized copper-finish interior accents.
Available luxury functions in certain outback models, including the wilderness, include Nappa Leather upholstery, ventilated front seats and a sunroof with one pan.
The company also uses more sound -absorbing materials in the roof and the headliner and claims that the wind sound has reduced by 10 percent thanks to “aerodynamic elements in the body sides and roof rails”.
Headroom is of course up, while new “low -fat seats are mounted directly on the chassis”, which promises Subaru “improve the comfort of long distance and reduce the head movement on longer disks”.
To this end, Subaru claims the lateral wave in the outback has been reduced by 42 percent compared to its predecessor.
The Outback uses a version of the Dual-Pinion Electronic steering rack of the WRX that Subaru Claims offers a “more direct and natural steering feeling with a larger response”.
It also has the newest generation of Subaru’s Active Safety and Driver Assist technology, powered by a mix of camera and radar.
Standard safety equipment includes:
- Acceleration overwrite assistant
- Adaptive cruise control
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Emergency Stop Assist (brings car to a stop when adaptive cruise is engaged if the driver falls unconscious, for example)
- Cross Traffic Assist in front
- Lane
In his presentation at the show, Subaru took some swings at the competition.
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Outgoing outback -
The company claims that the wilderness is more off-road than the Hyundai Santa Fe XRT and Ford Bronco Sport Badlands, and claims that 96 percent of all outbacks sold in the US for the past 10 years are still on the road, more than the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V.
The launch of the seventh generation model coincides with the 30th birthday of the name table.
Last year, Subaru supplied 10,227 outbacks here, making it the third best -selling model of the brand behind this behind only the cross trek (11,545) and Forester (13,445).
It was also the third best -selling Subaru in the US, an important market for the brand. Last year, just over 70 percent of all Subarus – or 667,725 vehicles from 941,758 – were sold on the American market, with the Japanese market (103,522) a distant second.
What do you think of the design of the new outback? Let us know in the comments!
More: Everything Subaru Outback
