The Subaru Outback is 30 years old this year, and like a hiker who just discovered CrossFit, it’s showing up to the party looking bolder, stronger, and suspiciously full of tech.
Unveiled at the 2025 New York Auto Show, the all-new, seventh-generation 2026 Outback is still the go-anywhere wagon-SUV hybrid you know—but with a sharper wardrobe, smarter brain, and a surprising number of clever storage tricks. Up front, you’ve got a boxier profile, vertically stacked headlights, and a new upright grille. There’s also a steeper rear window for better cargo room and—for the hammock people—220 pounds of lateral load capacity from the standard roof crossbars.
Inside, Subaru went full KonMari. There’s a cleaner layout, bigger bottle holders (hello, 32 oz capacity), an easy-to-reach 12.1-inch touchscreen, and—brace yourself—real physical climate knobs. Praise be. The digital 12.3-inch instrument cluster has multiple modes, including Calm Mode.
Powering the adventure are two Subaru BOXER engine choices: a 2.5-liter with 180 hp and 178 lb-ft (241 Nm), and a 2.4-liter turbo delivering 260 hp and 277 lb-ft (376 Nm) on XT and Wilderness trims. The WRX-derived steering rack improves responsiveness, while standard symmetrical AWD and 8.7 inches (221 mm) of ground clearance keep it trail-ready. X-MODE’s now on a steering wheel switch too, so your fingers can stay dirty and your eyes stay forward.
New safety goodies include Subaru’s latest EyeSight system, with driver-supervised hands-free cruising at up to 85 mph, lane-change assist, and Emergency Stop Assist that can call for help and unlock the doors if you go radio silent.
The 2026 Subaru Outback lands in late 2025 in trims from Premium to Wilderness. As for pricing, it will be reveal closer to the launch date. Meanwhile, we have a bunch of photos for you to drool over:
Images: Subaru [JP].
