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One of Subaru's top-selling models is set for a boxy makeover – and an interior overhaul with more dials and buttons. Here's what we know so far.
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A new generation of Subaru's most distinctive high-riding model – the 2026 Subaru Outback wagon – is around the corner.
Spy photographers have caught the new Outback testing over the past few months, ahead of an expected unveiling in the next nine months, and an Australian introduction to follow.
It is slated for one of the biggest styling shake-ups in the Subaru nameplate's 31-year history, and a new interior promising more buttons for key controls, alongside bigger screens.
Here's everything we know so far about the next-generation 2026 Subaru Outback.
What will the new Subaru Outback look like?
The original Outback of 1994 was a higher-riding, plastic-cladded derivative of the Liberty wagon of the time, and all successive generations have followed a similar 'lifted wagon' aesthetic, even after its low-riding, long-roof donor car was axed.
But the new model – expected to be a 2026 model-year vehicle – will look more like a conventional SUV than ever before, capitalising on a resurgence in boxy design for high-riding vehicles, such as the latest Toyota Prado.
Spy photos – and the illustrations above by Theottle – show many the current Outback's rounded edges will be squared off, with a lower roofline than a Forester but a bluff nose, flat sides and less shapely side windows.
While the new model looks taller than before in photos, it may be an illusion created by the boxier shape.
It may follow the latest Forester in wearing fractionally larger bodywork on the same underpinnings, with an identical distance between the front and rear wheels (wheelbase).
In that case, expect the new Outback to stay close to the current car's 4870mm length, 1875mm width, 1670mm height and 2745mm wheelbase, which compares to the Forester at 4655mm long, 1828mm wide, 1730mm high and 2670mm in wheelbase.
What engine will the new Subaru Outback have?
Reports out of the US suggest the Outback will retain a choice of non-turbo and turbocharged petrol engines.
As it is expected to share its predecessor's underpinnings, it is likely the current 2.5-litre non-turbo and 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder 'boxer' engines will carry over.
In Australia, these engines currently produce 138kW/245Nm and 183kW/350Nm respectively, while in the US they develop 136kW/239Nm and 194kW/376Nm respectively.
There may be minor changes to outputs. The 2.5-litre non-turbo engine has received minor tweaks for the new US-market Forester, with power down from 136kW to 134kW, though torque has crept up from 239Nm to 241Nm.
Increasingly likely to join the range – but yet to be confirmed – is a hybrid variant, using Subaru's new-generation 'Strong Hybrid' system incorporating technology from Toyota.
In the Crosstrek, it combines the 2.5-litre non-turbo Subaru boxer engine with two Toyota electric motors – one a traction motor that powers the wheels – a 1.1kWh battery, an electronic continuously-variable automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive.
Subaru USA has confirmed outputs of 121kW/209Nm for the engine and 88kW/270Nm for the traction motor, combining for a claimed 145kW – a figure that may increase in the larger and heavier Outback.
Unlike earlier Subaru hybrids – with a 110kW 2.0-litre engine and much weaker 12kW electric motor – the new-generation system is expected to deliver measurable fuel savings.
In Japanese WLTC testing, the new 2.5-litre Crosstrek Strong Hybrid claims fuel consumption of 5.3 litres per 100 kilometres.
It is a 15 per cent improvement on the 6.3L/100km of the older 2.0-litre all-wheel-drive hybrid, but thirstier than the 4.1L/100km quoted by a Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid, which in Japan uses a smaller 1.8-litre engine than Australia's 2.0-litre version.
What will the interior of the new Subaru Outback look like?
The Outback in showrooms today was the first Subaru to feature the interior design that's spread across its model range, with an 11.6-inch portrait touchscreen.
Spy images above show the next Outback will also debut a new interior for the Japanese brand, with an even larger, but now horizontal infotainment display as well as a widescreen digital instrument cluster.
But it will also mark a return to traditional dials and buttons for climate-control functions – as the photos below of an earlier prototype show – replacing today's mix of hard keys for air temperature and on-screen controls for everything else.
Photographers have yet to catch the new Outback's entire production dashboard unmasked, but it appears the screens will be integrated into a larger plastic surround reminiscent of new Lexus cars, with a high-mounted volume dial.
It appears there will be a new infotainment system – with a layout similar to the latest Toyota cars – while the instrument cluster has the ability to show a widescreen map.
A fully-digital instrument cluster is not new for Subaru – a 12.3-inch unit is available in the WRX sedan and wagon, as well as the Crosstrek, in select overseas markets – but it will make its Outback debut for the new model.
When will the new Subaru Outback launch?
The new Subaru Outback is expected to be revealed in the coming months – possibly at the New York motor show in April, where today's Outback was first shown in 2019 – before going on sale in the US by the end of this year.
While the Outback is among the brand's top sellers locally, there is no certainty the new model will be offered in Australia – and reports conflict on where it will be built.
As reported by Drive in October 2024, Subaru Japan has announced the current Outback "will be the last model produced in Japan", where the high-riding wagon has been manufactured for Australia since its local debut in the mid-1990s.
However, other reports claim production of the next Outback for North America will move from Indiana in the US to Japan, making way for increased Forester assembly at Subaru's Lafayette factory.
Among the outlets reporting the Outback will be built in Japan for the US are reputable industry journal Automotive News, as well as Indiana-based news outlet WLFI, citing the vice president of the factory's general counsel.
The first Foresters will reportedly be produced on the US line currently used for the Outback in the northern autumn of 2025 (September to November), suggesting the new model will be unveiled before then.
If the Outback remains in production in Japan – even if it isn't sold in Subaru's home market – the new model remains in the frame for Australia, but with the loss of Japanese sales, it is no certainty for a right-hand-drive version.
Historically, there has been a delay between the Outback's launch in different regions – the current model went on sale in the US in late 2019, before reaching Australia in early 2021 – but the move to Japanese production for the world may shorten that.
It could see the new Outback in Australian showrooms sometime in 2026.
How much will the new Subaru Outback cost in Australia?
Prices will remain a mystery until much closer to the Australian launch of the new Outback, but increases of a few thousand dollars are likely to account for new technology.
As of January 2025, the current model is priced from $43,690 plus on-road costs for the entry-level, non-turbo Outback AWD, and climbs to $56,990 plus on-road costs for the Touring XT turbo flagship – excluding special editions.
The Subaru Impreza hatch increased in price by $5200 for its latest generation, while the Crosstrek was up to $3000 dearer than its XV predecessor.
High-riding wagon competitors to the Subaru Outback are few and far between, these days only comprising much more expensive vehicles hailing from luxury European brands, including the Volvo V60 Cross Country ($74,990).
Closer on price are traditional large SUVs – with the added convenience of seven seats – such as the Hyundai Santa Fe (from $53,000) and Mazda CX-80 (from $54,950).
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Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
