3 days ago
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Subaru's all-wheel-drive Outback wagon has entered its seventh generation in Australia with a boxier SUV-esque new design, and the local debut of its Wilderness off-road trim.
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The 2026 Subaru Outback all-wheel-drive wagon has officially launched in Australia, with pricing and specification details confirmed ahead of imminent local showroom arrivals.
Launching at the same time as the United States, rather than the outgoing model's 18-month wait, the Outback continues to be sourced from Japan for Australia, its first right-hand drive market.
Subaru's off-road-focused Wilderness trim will debut in Australia in the new-generation Outback, offered in two range-topping trims – AWD Wilderness and AWD Wilderness Apex – with 2.4-litre turbocharged petrol power.
The turbocharged Wilderness grades replace the current Outback XT in Australia, while the non-turbo 2.5-litre versions continue to open the line-up in three variants: AWD, AWD Premium and AWD Touring.
At $48,990 before on-road costs, the entry price has climbed $4800 – or $9000 since the outgoing model's February 2021 launch – with increases of up to $6000 across the line-up.
The largest increase has been applied to the most-affordable turbocharged Outback, now the AWD Wilderness at $59,690 – $6000 more than the outgoing Sport XT, although it is not a direct replacement.
For the first time, the Outback has been designed from scratch for its seventh generation, instead of its traditional basis on the now-discontinued Liberty.
It has seen the model's traditional wagon shape replaced by a taller, boxier design with what Subaru calls "SUV-style proportions".
Ground clearance is now 220 millimetres, up 7mm and equivalent to the smaller Crosstrek and Forester SUVs, while the Outback Wilderness boosts it a further 20mm to 240mm.
The Outback's approach and departure angles have also been improved, and Wilderness grades add electronically controlled dampers linked to its dual-mode X-Mode system, for better off-road capability.
Newly standard equipment includes a larger 12.1-inch infotainment touchscreen – now horizontal, not vertical – with "up to 2.5 times faster processing", along with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster replacing a 4.2-inch multi-information display and analogue gauges.
A physical row of air-conditioning dials has returned, along with a real button for its auto-hold brake, after the outgoing model controversially moved some controls to its touchscreen.
The new Outback uses a "further-evolved" Subaru Global Platform with revised spring and damper characteristics, the WRX's dual-pinion electric power steering system, revised body structures and load paths for better protection in a collision, and vibration and noise reduction.
Naturally-aspirated 2.5-litre Outbacks now output 137kW and 254Nm, down 1kW but up 9Nm, while the turbocharged Wilderness grades have 194kW and 382Nm, up 11kW and 32Nm from the outgoing Outback XT's 183kW and 350Nm.
However, combined fuel consumption has taken a tumble, at 8.1 litres per 100 kilometres for the 2.5-litre, from 7.3L/100km, and 9.7L/100km for the 2.4-litre turbo, from 9.0L/100km, while the Wilderness's 2.1-tonne braked towing capacity is less than the outgoing XT's 2.4-tonne limit.
The 2.4-litre turbo Outback is now compatible with 91-octane unleaded fuel, rather than requiring 95-octane or higher.
While it is the dearest Outback, the $62,690 AWD Wilderness Apex misses features standard in the $5700-cheaper AWD Touring, including ventilated front seats, active lane-change assist, and driver's seat lumbar support, memory function and thigh support extension.
It also lacks the AWD Touring's enhanced driver monitoring system with automatic driver's seat and side mirror adjustments, but – like the AWD Wilderness – adds an electronic control damper system and dual-mode X-Mode unavailable in non-turbo grades.
Pricing and specifications for each 2026 Outback grade in Australia are listed below.
The 2026 Subaru Outback is on sale now in Australia, with test drives set to commence imminently at "selected" dealerships ahead of first customer deliveries early next year.
2026 Subaru Outback price in Australia
Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs.
2026 Subaru Outback AWD standard features:
2026 Subaru Outback AWD Premium adds (over AWD):
2026 Subaru Outback AWD Touring adds (over AWD Premium):
2026 Subaru Outback AWD Wilderness adds (over AWD):
2026 Subaru Outback AWD Wilderness Apex adds (over AWD Wilderness):
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Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
