2026 Subaru Outback review

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There’s a new Subaru Outback in town.

As it is in its seventh generation, the 2026 Subaru Outback has become as big as ever and debuts the more rugged Wilderness sub-brand that previously served for North American market demand.

What are the headlines? More boxy, SUV-leaning design; more space and more technology & (of course) more money Now that design is a bit of polarising, but who am I to tell you what something so subjective?

Why is all that much of the drivelines not changed, with mildly updated versions of both the old model’s naturally aspirated and turbocharged four-cylinder Boxer petrol engines (with a CVT automatic and symmetrical all-wheel drive)?

The Outback’s more adventurous and off-roader pitch than other unibody SUVs carries over, furthermore, with decent capability off the beaten track right out of box.

A new Trailseeker wants to fill that void with ‘No electrification?’‘ you might ask.’ The brand’s local boss said the Outback would be an all-electric alternative to the outback, although an OutBack Hybrid could be on the table for future introduction.

Until now, let’s focus on the car you can actually buy. We joined the Australian media drive in New South Wales to see if the Outback still impresses as the all-in-one family adventure wagon.

How much does the Subaru Outback cost?

Most of the time, pricing on Outback has increased The entry point is now almost $5000 at $48,990 plus costs for the base ‘Outback AWD’.

| Model | Price before on-road costs |
| — | — |
| 2026 Subaru Outback AWD | $48,990 (+$4800) |
| 2026 Subaru Outback AWD Premium | $53,490 (NEW) |
| 2026 Subaru Outback AWD Touring | $56,990 (+$4500) |
| 2026 Subaru Outback AWD Wilderness | $59,690 (NEW) |
| 2026 Subaru Outback AWD Wilderness Apex | $62,490 (NEW) |

While the new Outback is pricier than before, you can still get a mid- to high-spec variant for similar money to low-grade unibody rivals in the large SUV segment – namely the likes of the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento and Toyota Kluger.

Further, more specialised ladder-frame 4×4 large SUVs like the Ford Everest and Toyota Prado are substantially dearer spec-for-spec, so unless you really need to go hardcore off-roading or tow 3.0-3.5 tonnes, you probably can save tens of thousands of dollars and get other stuff.

To see how the Subaru Outback lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool

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What is the Subaru Outback like on the inside?

Quite a bit has changed in here, and it likely previews what’s to come from Subaru’s next generation of products.

The in-vehicle displays have been replaced with the integrated design of a more in style floating tablet-style array, which runs new software that looks suspiciously associated with latest Toyota and Lexus interface.

It has also given all models a 12 . a 12 inch digital instrument display and 3-inch digital device display as well as. Subaru has also restored a traditional, physical climate control pod that was reinstated in the 1-inch landscape-oriented central touchscreen and is another example of one such device being used by s.

But for your reviewer, the more tacked-on design isn’t as clean as in the previous generation (even though the new software interface is cleaner and faster) – if there is a little basic in both Outback AWD and base Wilderness trims.

Despite the oddly (and annoyingly) use of native navigation for top-end grades, all variants have wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as DAB+ digital radio; AppleCarPlay is working well in our car.

This is a cleaner, more modern look, faster loading time and smoother animations than the outgoing model of infotainment system that offers an easier-to-useless (and less expensive) version of the new infotraining system. But really, it looks like an reskinned version of the user interface used in the new Toyota and Lexus products — which is known for its solid performance.

It was also a good job for the standard six-speaker audio system, which provided high quality sound with very low depth and bass to help drown out the outside world on open road.

I think with that in mind, the Harman Kardon premium audio on Touring and Wilderness Apex grades (double-the speaker) should be a very impressive score. We didn’t try any cars with this fitted but we did not test them.

Every grade of Wilderness is expected to have a wireless phone charger, but it only the high-spec Touring version of the naturally aspirated range’s Bluetooth Phone Charger. It sits under a physical pod of climate controls, where chunky buttons are solidly action-sensitive when pressed and an LCD display for temperature readouts and fan speed is clear.

The USB-A and USB–C ports for charging devices are also available across the board, and the air-conditioner mentioned above appears to be from the Toyota parts catalogue as it’s almost ice-cold at any temperature below 22 degrees.

This is a good front cabin storage, with the previously mentioned phone charger (or shelf in base models), toothed cupholders ahead of ‘front-centre cubby’ and felt line door bins that hold decent bottles as well as an attractive glovebox.

The quality is also good, with a nice mix of soft-touch materials on the upper and middle tiers of the dashboard and doors; interesting textures scattered throughout the entire universe. The eye-catching orange stitching highlights and a metallic insert in the steering wheel are also prominent features of Wilderness models, as well as an eye catchable contrast with those that appear on their own.

The cabin of the previous model feels a little more classic and classy, with better integration of in-vehicle displays and’more premium presentation. Honestly, that’s all down to personal taste, but that isn’t the only one.

Overseas model shown

The Outback’s second row is a key strength, given its size and size. For 6’1′′ me behind my preferred driving position, there is a lot of head, leg, knee and toe room even though I can see through the tall windows.

There’s no good back there than a comfortable back place for two adults, but the skinny and raised centre seat is best for kids to get. And it’s also annoying that the centre seatbelt is glued to the roof rather than the seat, which is attached to this .

Other features include rear air vents, a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders and bottle holders in the doors; map pockets behind front seats.

For parents, you also receive the required ISOFIX child seat anchor points on the outboard rear seats; and top-tether points behind all three rear positions.

A healthy 530 litres (130 liters) of cargo capacity across the range with the rear seats behind the second row there’s still no third row of seating, but it is not just . That then goes to 1211L with the rear seats down, measured to the top of the front seat backs or 1844L – which is measured at the ceiling.

A full-size alloy spare wheel is available under the boot floor across all models grades, a feature that’s becoming increasingly rare in today’s market.

| Dimensions | Subaru Outback | Subaru Outback Wilderness |
| — | — | — |
| Length | 4880mm (+10mm) | 4880mm |
| Width | 1880mm (+5mm) | 1880mm |
| Height | 1715mm (+40mm) | 1735mm |
| Wheelbase | 2745mm | 2745mm |
| Boot space | 530L – rear seats up 1211L – rear seats down, to seatback 1844L – rear seats down, to ceiling | 530L – rear seats up 1211L – rear seats down, to seatback 1844L – rear seats down, to ceiling |

To see how the Subaru Outback lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

Two engines are available in Australia, both updated versions of the old model’s powertrains.

| Specifications | Outback | Outback Wilderness |
| — | — | — |
| Engine | 2.5L 4cyl ‘Boxer’ petrol | 2.4L 4cyl ‘Boxer’ turbo-petrol |
| Engine power | 137kW at 5800rpm | 194kW at 5600rpm |
| Engine torque | 245Nm at 3700rpm | 382Nm at 2000-3600rpm |
| Transmission | CVT with 8-speed manual mode | CVT with 8-speed manual mode |
| Drive type | All-wheel drive | All-wheel drive |
| Kerb weight | 1705kg (base) 1732kg (Premium) 1733kg (Touring) | 1781kg (Wilderness) 1802kg (Wilderness Apex) |
| Fuel economy (claimed) | 8.1L/100km | 9.7L/100km |
| Fuel economy (as tested) | 10.1L/100km | 11.4L/100km |
| Fuel tank capacity | 63L | 63L |
| Fuel requirement | 91-octane regular unleaded | 91-octane regular unleaded |
| CO2 emissions | 183g/km | 228g/km |
| Unbraked towing capacity | 750kg | 750kg |
| Braked towing capacity | 2000kg | 2100kg |

As well as the minor torque and power shocks of both engines, Subaru says that the torque curve has been widened for better driveability in addition to the small bumps on its engine. The Japanese brand also claims that both powertrains are less noisy and more efficient.

At the time we were unable to match the brand’s fuel economy claims at the on-road launch drive, with the turbocharged Wilderness in particular nearly hitting 12 during the weekend. After a drive loop of mostly high-speed B-roads and country highways, 0L/100km after the road loop was followed by ‘high speed bike routes’.

Subaru Australia says it has no plans to introduce the turbocharged engines into the non-Wilderness range, despite the North American market still maintaining ‘XT’ versions of the previous generation. This is also the reason for the Outback’s maximum tow capacity of 2100kg, compared to the 2400kg of the old XT which was added in its new model with an upgraded chassis and heavier body.

I know there are a lot of hybridised and diesel-powered competitors in the same segment that can be much more efficient than the Outback, so for me it’s hardly an exception to the outback – especially when families are feeling the bite of cost-of-living pressures.

Despite the talk about an Outback Hybrid being discussed by Subaru’s local boss, it may be a long time before we can see something like electrified Out back beyond the all-electric (and not quite as capable) Trailseeker that is due to be on sale in the coming months.

To see how the Subaru Outback lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool

How does the Subaru Outback drive?

A pretty full-fledged launch drive, from Jamisontown to Mount Panorama in Greater Sydney’s west, was our start – no track drive around Bathurst (giggles).

But we had the opportunity to sit behind the wheel of both the base Outback AWD and the Aw Wilderness, with Subaru Australia hoping to show off the core capability from lower grades on- and off-road.

A first step, we’ll dive into the base Outback AWD powered by an atmo 2, which is driven by a helicopter-powered vehicle called the Base OutBack Aw. This is the cheapest entry to Australia’s Outback range and 5-litre ‘Boxer’ engine, which has been described as being the most affordable way of paraphrasingr.

The standard Outback may seem slightly underdone on paper, but the Lineartronic CVT automatic and symmetrical AWD system help bring power down nicely with this circa-1. 7-tonne family hauler shifts are a good fit for .

The performance is linear and rev-happy, while real engine noise is well suppressed. For example, it must be hard to pull out onto country highways or up steeper hills (e.g., if you work hard), but that is the job done by it.” The turbocharged models are probably not going to be as grunt as you need, especially in town.

The base Outback was a bit more sophisticated and slightly less refined than the Wilderness, which isn’t down to tyres (because Aussie-spec OutBacks wear Bridgestone Alenza road rubber), but we thought it might be lower due to the lower ride height and perhaps better sound deadening.

The engine settles into a relatively quiet hum at ‘a cruise’, and the ride is well-suited for its purpose. That’s an effective cruiser even in base spec, and as I’m going to touch on later there’s a good baseline of assistance tech for taking the load off longer stints.

For a moment, back to the ride for. The base Outback doesn’t receive adaptive dampers such as the Wilderness, although the standard passively damped chassis has a firm-ish primary ride but softer rebound (which keeps body control tight after initial impacts) does not feel terse when it recovers without bobbing about its recovery.

In practice, the new Outback combines the system of WRX’s dual-pinion steering that promises “extra precision and confident control”, with more natural feedback than previously provided by this large family bus (along with tight twisty B-roads) it feels quite ‘nimble to be very much like its old counterpart.

It’s not as different from the feeling behind the wheel that is felt when you go to the Wilderness for an on-road stint.

With the extra 140Nm of torque from 2000rpm, instead of 3700rPM and a bit more low-down response from the powertrain thanks to the added ride height.

I have complained about turbocharged Subarus with the Lineartronic CVT, which feels like it saps the engine of character and feel so that doesn’t make all that much faster than before – even if the speedo does seem to increase at the top end especially when you are driving up.

Subaru has programmed eight ‘speeds’ into the CVT when in manual mode, although it is a little more interesting or fun to push harder at full throttle than flares and drones.

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Our off-road stint scaled the rocky trails up to Dark Corner, between Lithgow and Bathurst.

It started off very tame, flat but the off-road route soon became steeper and rockier; I was quite impressed with the ability of base Outback as it passed through all the Wilderness went.

Test cars were all with 18-inch alloy wheels shod in Bridgestone Alenza 225/60 tyres, which are usually seen on more premium road-biased SUVs. For the Wilderness, this is particularly unusual because of its wild marketing and smaller 17-inch wheels with all-terrain rubber for North America’s sister model.

The new Wilderness sub-brand is a huge number of options and accessories, so we could see something like the US model’s kit available here soon to unlock even more capability, Subaru says.

But for the money, most people can get off-road power from the Outback. So, it’s where most soft-roaders wouldn’t dare to roam without compromising on-path comfort like a ladder-frame SUV does.

There’s a lot of mechanical grip from the smart full-time AWD system, which is combined with good ground clearance and Subaru’S X-Mode system that adjusts the throttle, transmission, braking (and stability and traction control systems) for maximum use even on road tyres.

A second mode for deep snow and mud on top of the standard dirt and snow mode is added by The Wilderness (which works with the (Outback-first) electronically controlled dampers, developed to “keep the body stable on rough ground while maintaining comfort on long trips”).

In fact I didn’t really feel much about the adaptive damping, other than that it was firmer than the standard passively damped car at times. In addition, X-Mode’s hill descent function was useful for longer descents and over the crests of an individual, while it also ensured that the Outback didn’t just spin its wheels over slippery, rock ascents.

That is because of the additional ground clearance for this Wilderness (240mm vs 220MM) and in turn it’s improved approach, departure and breakover angles, there was less thought needed while travelling off larger rocks and other ruts that encourage confidence when travelling down the beaten track – as does the front bumper under-guard to prevent damaging the delicate oily bits.

Besides, other things to note are the good outward visibility through the tall square glasshouse and big side mirrors (although it has not been standard surround camera system so you can’t see forward-facing camera when going over a crest).

In terms of assists, the Outback is pretty well equipped adaptive cruise control, lane centring assist, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic alerts all are generally well-calibrated and useful in real life use (at least in our short time.

A touch overbearing The audible driver attention monitoring system can be a bit of an insult when it thinks you’re looking away from the road for too long – often because you are watching at the central touchscreen or at one of the side mirrors – there is also.

| Off-road dimensions | Outback | Outback Wilderness |
| — | — | — |
| Track front and rear | 1585mm (front) 1610mm (rear) | 1575mm (front) 1600mm (rear) |
| Ground clearance | 220mm | 240mm |
| Approach angle | – | 20.0º |
| Departure angle | – | 23.6º |
| Ramp breakover angle | – | 21.2º |
| Wading depth | – | – |

To see how the Subaru Outback lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool

What do you get?

A total of five trim levels are available in Australia – three naturally aspirated, two turbocharged.

2026 Subaru Outback AWD equipment highlights:

• 18-inch alloy wheels (dark metallic finish)
• Full-size spare wheel
• Automatic LED headlights (steering-responsive)
• LED front fog lights
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Power-folding side mirrors
• Ladder-style roof rails
• Black synthetic leather upholstery (NEW)
• 8-way power driver’s seat with lumbar
• Leather-wrapped gear selector
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Black interior stitching
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster (NEW)
• 12.1-inch infotainment display (NEW)
• Wireless Apple CarPlay
• Wireless Android Auto
• DAB+ digital radio
• 6-speaker sound system
• 1 x USB-A port
• 1 x USB-C port
• Dual-zone climate control
• Steering wheel paddles
• Power tailgate
• X-Mode drive mode

Outback AWD Premium adds:

• Heated steering wheel
• 8-way power passenger seat
• Heated front seats
• Satellite navigation
• Electric sunroof

Outback AWD Touring adds:

• 18-inch alloy wheels (machined gloss finish)
• Auto-dipping, auto-folding side mirrors
• Black Nappa leather upholstery
• Brown Nappa leather upholstery – optional
• Ventilated front seats
• Heated rear outboard seats
• Four-way driver’s seat lumbar support
• Driver’s seat position memory
• Silver interior stitching
• Wireless phone charger
• 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror

Subaru Outback AWD Wilderness equipment highlights:

• 18-inch alloy wheels (matte black finish)
• Unique exterior and interior design with Wilderness branding
• Front bumper under guard
• Unique LED front fog lights
• 2100kg braked towing capacity
• 240mm ground clearance
• Adaptive suspension
• Black water-repellent upholstery
• Wilderness embossing on head restraints
• 8-way powered driver’s seat with lumbar
• Heated rear outboard seats
• Yellow interior stitching
• ‘Wilderness theme’ digital instrument display
• Wireless phone charger
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• Copper-colour interior and exterior accents
• Dual tailpipes
• X-Mode drive mode (2 modes)

Outback Wilderness AWD Apex adds (over Wilderness):

• Electric sunroof
• Satellite navigation
• 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system

To see how the Subaru Outback lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool

Is the Subaru Outback safe?

Its 2026 Subaru Outback is unrated and has not been tested by ANCAP or its sister organisation Euro NCAP, which remains the most under-tested car.

Standard safety equipment highlights:

• 9 airbags incl. front-centre
• Adaptive cruise control
• Active torque vectoring
• Autonomous emergency braking

• Reverse function

• Blind-spot monitoring
• Driver monitoring system (NEW)
• Lane-keep assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Reverse parking sensors
• Reversing camera
• Subaru EyeSight

• Wide-angle monocular camera (NEW)
• Emergency Driving Stop System (NEW)

• Subaru Vision Assist

• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Reverse AEB
• Front-side radar (NEW)

• Traffic sign recognition
• Tyre pressure monitoring

Outback Premium adds:

• Front view monitor
• Side-view monitor
• Surround-view camera

Outback Touring adds:

• Active lane-change assist (NEW)
• Driver monitoring system with auto side mirror and driver’s seat adjustment (NEW)

Outback Wilderness Apex adds:

• Surround-view cameras

To see how the Subaru Outback lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool

How much does the Subaru Outback cost to run?

Like the wider Subaru range, the Outback is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

| Servicing and Warranty | Subaru Outback |
| — | — |
| Warranty | 5 years, unlimited kilometres |
| Roadside assistance | 12 months |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 12,500km (excl. Wilderness) 12 months or 15,000km (Wilderness) |
| Capped-price servicing | 5 years |

Service costs are dependent on the powertrain.

| Service | Outback | Outback Wilderness |
| — | — | — |
| 12 months, 12,500km (excl. Wilderness) 12 months, 15,000km (Wilderness) | $347.92 | $347.14 |
| 24 months, 25,000km (excl. Wilderness) 24 months, 30,000km (Wilderness) | $526.90 | $526.12 |
| 36 months, 37,500km (excl. Wilderness) 36 months, 45,000km (Wilderness) | $402.89 | $402.11 |
| 48 months, 50,000km (excl. Wilderness) 48 months, 60,000km (Wilderness) | $702.60 | $701.82 |
| 60 months, 62,500km (excl. Wilderness) 60 months, 75,000km (Wilderness) | $370.90 | $370.12 |
| Average annual service cost | $470.24 | $469.46 |
| Total capped-price service cost | $2351.21 | $2347.31 |

To see how the Subaru Outback lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool

childcareman.xyz’s Take on the Subaru Outback

But the new instalment of the 30-year story about the Subaru Outback should remain appealing to supporters who support the family crossover wagon’s loyalists, if they get into gel with the more distinctive looks of this new generation.

It’s as big and affluent as ever, and still has the Boxer rumble that fans have come to know and love. It’s a familiar and unexpectedly similar feel on the road for such – large car, which is not uncommon but goesbbles up miles while offering eloquent comfort and pretty refined ride on open road.

As Outback owners have predicted, when you run out of tarmac the OutBack will be able to go where most of its fellow soft-roaders will fear to travel (with an impressive level of capability out in the box that is more than enough for most people) it means no one has to step up to a ladder-frame off-rail SUV.

That’s not the only thing that’d be so bad about paraphrasing it, though. The largely carryover engines do not make much to move the game forward in terms of performance or efficiency even if you don’t think it is worth the life out of the rumbly, rev-happy engines that power its cars and Subaru’s use of CVT autos kills the lives out from the car.

The price hikes of the new generation haven’t been a surprise either, and reservation for some key convenience features on higher grades – ie navigation and surround cameras – seems to be stingy.

The fact that I have climbed some of the most challenging trails in both the naturally aspirated Outback and its more rugged Wilderness stablemate, is asking me to spend over $10,000 on the base car for the jacked-up model (even if it unlocks turbocharged performance and more adventure bits)– this also means an all-terrain wheel and tyre package of its North American equivalent.

This base car has a lot more than enough capability baked in and the naturally aspirated engine doesn’t feel that much worse off than the turbo model on-road performance and refinement of an automobile, which is far better. But really, I think Subaru needs to restore the XT-badged versions of the standard Outback so that it can be used as an engine in non-Wilderness grades.

But unless you’re towing or planning on scaling rocky hill climbs often, the standard Outback has plenty of features for it and in one-up–from-base Premium trim there’s a good balance of functions for the spend – which is much less than compared to essentially another similar rival.

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