Crocodile Dundee, we hardly knew ye. The Subaru Outback has come a long way since Paul Hogan helped promote its inaugural launch in the mid-1990s, but the upcoming seventh-generation model marks its biggest change yet. After decades as the wagon-ish version of the Subaru Legacy sedan, the Outback is set to emerge from the Legacy’s discontinuation and evolve into a full-fledged midsize SUV.
Here’s everything we know so far about the 2026 Subaru Outback. Be sure to bookmark this page: we’ll update it as we receive more information.
2026 Subaru Outback: Price, Specs and Release Date
- 2026 Subaru Outback styling
- 2026 Subaru Outback interior design and practicality
- 2026 Subaru Outback engines, motors and drive
- 2026 Subaru Outback price and release date
2026 Subaru Outback styling
On the new Subaru Outback, rugged is the name of the game. Initial images show a taller, boxier, and upright design featuring thin and angry-looking headlamps, an emphasized body-colour C-pillar, tall wheel arches, and chunky plastic body cladding. The brake lights are integrated into a trendy assembly that crosses the entire liftgate. Below, the Outback name spans widely just underneath, and it’s repeated across the rear bumper.
A new Subaru Outback Wilderness is also on the way for 2026. In preview images, its grille is all black and prominently features the Subaru name in truck-style all-caps. Subaru says the new Outback Wilderness will have a 100-kilogram (220-pound) dynamic and 363-kilogram (800-pound) static roof load capacity, standard ladder-style roof rails, a raised ride height and electronically controlled suspension, all-terrain tires, and the automaker’s dual-function X-Mode feature.
2026 Subaru Outback interior design and practicality
Subaru enthusiasts won’t be sad to see the portrait-oriented Starlink infotainment screen go. The 2026 Outback drops it in favour of a 12.1-inch horizontally oriented screen with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, mounted above a set of manual climate controls. Subaru says processing time has been improved to help make the infotainment system more responsive. Beside it, preview images show a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster. It’s not yet clear whether these screen configurations will be standard in Canada, but we do know heated front seats and a wireless charging pad will be included on every Outback.
While we’re still awaiting official measurements from Subaru Canada, a conversion from American figures puts the new Outback’s rear cargo capacity at an estimated 990 litres, up from 923 litres in the current generation. The added five centimetres of interior height will improve headroom in both rows.
2026 Subaru Outback engines, motors and drive
The Outback’s current pair of Boxer engines with Subaru’s trademark horizontally opposed cylinders will carry over to the next generation. The base engine is a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder, retuned slightly to make 180 horsepower (a 2-hp drop from the current version). The upgrade engine is a 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder producing 260 hp and 277 lb-ft. A traditional gear selector manages a continuously variable transmission (CVT), and Subaru’s symmetrical full-time all-wheel drive (AWD) will continue to be the default.
On the safety side, Subaru has indicated its EyeSight suite of driver assistance technologies will add forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane keep assist. This will be standard in the U.S., and we expect it will be in Canada as well.
2026 Subaru Outback price and release date
No indications of pricing have been offered by Subaru Canada as of this writing, though we expect there will be a price bump of a couple thousand dollars when the 2026 Subaru Outback goes on sale in Canada in late 2025.