For more than 30 years, the Subaru Outback has been largely categorized as a wagon, specifically at first and broadly as of late. Even as the Legacy wagon disappeared, it was still the go-to machine for Americans who wanted something more practical than a sedan but not as bulky as an SUV-aping crossover. That just changed.
At the New York Auto Show on Wednesday, Subaru unveiled the new 2026 Outback, and it looks like it’s gone full crossover. Gone are any car-like cues, with the new model instead looking like a supersized Forester. It’s a dramatic departure from a norm that’s existed since the mid-1990s, and I can’t help but wonder if the push for further mass appeal might alienate the Outback faithful.
Let’s start with what’s going on under the skin, because it’ll immediately be familiar. Buyers can choose from a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated flat-four making 180 horsepower or a 260-horsepower turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four, with the exclusive transmission choice being a CVT, and all models driving all four wheels. That’s all carryover stuff, and so is the Subaru Global Platform underneath the new crossover skin.
Moving inside the new Outback, the interior feels like a step forward. Rotary knobs for temperature control return, the HVAC system gains a litany of actual buttons and a separate display, and a new infotainment system now features a rather square 12.1-inch touchscreen. Add in a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and swaths of stitched textiles, and the cabin of the new Outback looks like a nicer, more intuitive place than the inside of the outgoing model.
However, we really need to talk about the styling because it’s a seismic change from what we’re used to. Instead of a rounded, low-body-up-high look, the new Outback is all about blocky off-road posturing. From the flat hood to the split headlight treatment to the sheer amount of metal seen in profile, it’s not a handsome vehicle. What’s more, it’s clear that the new Outback is going after the Honda Passport, and that might be a huge mistake.
See, Subaru already makes two crossovers that look like crossovers. There’s the two-row Forester and the three-row Ascent, both covering important bases in the market. In contrast, two-row midsize crossovers with more traditional, chunky forms have generally lived in the sales shadows of their siblings. The Honda Passport has been a relatively slow seller compared to the three-row Pilot and more affordable CR-V. Through Q1, the two-row midsized combustion-powered Chevrolet Blazer sold roughly half as many units as the three-row Traverse and a drop in the bucket compared to ICE Equinox sales.
At the same time, the Outback developed a strong identity not just for what it was, but what it wasn’t. It wasn’t a macho’d up mall crawler for families to drive down to Denny’s in, it was a wagon with some extra ground clearance for getting to the chalet in deep snow, or reaching somewhat remote trailheads. The people who buy Outbacks could buy a Forester or an Ascent, but they don’t. They know what they like, and something tells me this isn’t it.
While change is inevitable, abandoning the utter dominance of a niche in search of a slice of a small pie just doesn’t seem like a wise move. Subaru can’t afford to get the Outback wrong, yet as someone who’s loved Outbacks, I’m afraid they might have done just that with the seventh-generation model. Subaru itself calling the new Outback an SUV in the press release feels like a failure to read the room. While the Trailseeker will likely pick up some lost sales, buyers who just want a midsize wagon soon won’t have any affordable options in America. Time to pour one out.
Top graphic image: Matt Hardigree
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I blame Consumer Reports. The #1 brand for them is Subaru. Their (CRs) demographic is my MIL- she’s in her 70’s and wants to trade in her hybrid Lexus RX for a Subaru. One of the complaints about the Outback is it was too low for older people. I guess they took that to heart they’re going from the Stoner Demo (go to ay mountain town and look at all the Subarus) to the Geriatric demo- which granted is a lot larger. The CR endorsement is like gold for the aging boomers (and older GenXrs) looking for something a little higher and “sportier”. “Ah it’s a Subaru”
They already had the Forester for that demo though. My MIL got rid of her Miata and got a Forester when she turned 70 because none of her friends could get in or out of the Miata. It’s almost 10 years later now and she is still salty about it.
Both would often get cross-shopped since they were pretty close in price for two differently sized vehicles, I know my parents did years ago, and an Outback was much ‘nicer’ than the Forester at the time. If you’re downsizing from a larger van/truck/SUV an Outback’s size and feel might feel like a more natural transition, or if you were coming from a midsize sedan.
I’m a little slow today and at first thought your parents cross-shopped a Forester and a Miata which seemed wild!
I think this new model probably reinforces that small SUV transition. I would be interested to know more about Outback conquest sales but I’m sure my MIL is a significant outlier because not many people are coming to this from a mid-size sedan (or sports convertibles) anymore. The people buying Outbacks in my orbit are previous Outback owners who have been acclimated to this size and shape like a frog in a pot for the last couple of generations, or people coming from some other CUV/SUV and got a good deal or have aspirations of being more outdoorsy.
*insert SpongeBob my eyes gif*
Welp. They finally fully killed the Subaru Wagon. I didn’t really consider the Outback a pure wagon anymore… but now none of the wagon DNA is left at all.
Good luck Subaru selling this to your typical Outback customer. You went from being the ONLY fish in a small pond to being a small fish in an ocean.
I don’t hate the styling, as straight lines and angles are better than pointless swishing curves. But I hate that it got taller.
Hey @The Bishop, we need a render of this Outback as a Legacy. It’s giving me Mad Max vibes. I personally want to see what a Legacy Wilderness would be, go full Thunderdome!
Could be interesting to apply this styling to wagon proportions.
WOOF.
Pour one out for the Subaru Outback…
At least we have a Volvo CC to fall back on…or into…
https://www.volvocars.com/us/cars/v60-cross-country/
The side and the full-width-taillight rear end look decent, even pretty nice! (The wilderness edition taillights looks like crap.) But that front end… No. Just no.
Devil’s advocate/self-counterpoint: When the 4Runner went from Gen 4 to Gen 5, I thought it was a visual abomination (and I still do, all these years later). But the additional space and capability seemed to help people ignore all of that.
This is honestly no fuglier a change. And it’s no worse to look at than the RAV, IMHO. Time will tell, but that’s a no from me, dog.
“No no, no, God, please, no.” –Michael Scott
“God is dead.” –Friedrich Nietzsche
It’s going to be a big seller for Subaru.
Hot take, its not that bad, at first I was like OMG ewww, then after the shock wore off it grew on me a bit, if they offered a electrified version I might consider one (after the tariff bs is over)
I very sincerely hope that terrible front end is only on the wilderness edition, but regardless, that grille is awful and I hate everything about it.
Personally, I think the for end of the regulars model is somehow even worse.
well that’s pretty impressive. I didn’t seen any pictures of the front of the normal one here, and am too lazy to look them up but that’s just bad then. Subaru used to brag about their ugly cars, we must be heading back to that world.
You think you hate it now, but wait until you drive it!
No thanks. I have zero interest in a crossover. A wagon I would love, but I have a minivan that can do anything I would need a crossover for.
I usually am the first to come rushing to the defense of something disregarded by the masses, but in this case, the vast majority doesn’t like it, and I’m with them 100 percent.
Maybe even more so because a lot of people liked outbacks because they themselves built a great car in a segment disregarded by the masses, and a lot of people liked that.
Now, they’ve gone with the flow, and it feels like a little bit of a betrayal.
It’s not a wagon. It doesn’t have a cohesive design, and the directions taken to make it look off-roady are terrible.
Flat hoods, upright stance, and body cladding with large overhangs and small wheels do not make something look “off-roady” they could have seen that clearly by looking at a Pontiac Aztek.
We need to give this thing the sonic treatment, and hope they listen.
Alternatively, if Stellantis had half a brain they would cash in on this and come out with a Jeep wagon, a modern interpretation of the AMC eagle, to pick up the customers Subaru is about to lose.
Isn’t the Crosstrek a modern interpretation of the AMC Eagle?
Don’t get me wrong: doing this to the Outback is about the dumbest thing imaginable. There are already lots of crossover options, including built by Subaru! So why?!
No, it’s just an Impreza hatchback with a different name.
Maybe a modern Eagle SX/4! Which itself was a hatch.
The AMC was a wagon, baby, allllll wagon.
The Outback could be considered close to the eagle, but it is neither built with truck parts (live axles, true 4wd) nor the baked in underdog status that comes with being the built by the perpetual last-place US automaker.
Lifted and plasti-clad Dodge Magnum
I don’t like it.
The dirty little secret around the Outback is that it’s been a crossover for a long time now. I don’t love the styling, but if anything I think it’s probably more honest about what the vehicle is than the old rounded stuff that tried to look like a wagon.
Given how many hideous Santa Fes I see driving around I expect this will sell like hotcakes.
The Outback’s differentiator has always been the low roof. Even as they’ve added cladding and increased ground clearance over the years, the roofline has remained well below that of competing CUVs. It allows for easier access & loading of roof-mounted cargo. Take that away and yes, NOW it is just like every other CUV.
(Honestly though, the new roofline does still look slightly lower than competing vehicles, but the measurements put it at the same height as a RAV4. I think the confusion comes from Subaru including the roof rack in the measurement some times, but not others.)
This. People who do actual outdoors stuff carry a lot of odd-shaped gear, and the roof has always been the best place for that. The low roofline of a Subaru is a feature not a bug.
You don’t even have to be a kayaker or surfer to need that roof access, either. Just ask anyone who takes their dogs camping with them: where do you put your gear when your dogs are in the cargo area? You put it in your roof box. Lots of the Outbacks and Crosstreks in my area have Thule or Yakima roof boxes permanently mounted to them, and it’s not because the cargo area isn’t big or tall enough for their stuff – it’s because they have a couple of 50 pound dogs that ride around back there instead.
It’s like they took the Forester and grafted on Rivian R3 and 4 runner pieces then said that will be the outback. Or maybe that was the one of the designs for the Forester and remembered they forgotten about the outback and there you go.
The very definition of having zero restraint when designing something. This is trash. Also, Subaru has no idea what they are doing moving the outback into CUV territory. Now that they have decided to go all in on a SUV shape rather than wagon, they are suddenly competing with MUCH more attractive, capable and less stupid vehicles.
I mean I don’t think there are very many cars out there that are less attractive. Off the top of my head I can only think of the cybertruck that is uglier than this gross beast.
We sure this isn’t the new Forester? We’re sure? Darn.
Holy crap, I can’t WAIT until the era of enormous, incredibly cheap-looking black plastic grilles go out of fashion. This isn’t -quite- as bad as the new Dodge pickup, but it’s really close.
That sea of unpainted plastic saves a ton of money over painted grills/bumpers/rockers. Manufacturers are going to keep doing it until people decide with their wallets the trend needs to end. If Subaru is looking for a place to start killing it off, might I suggest the WRX?
….no. Please no.
The Forester got 1) hybrid, 2) quiet, 3) non-CVT. I think this will drastically change the balance between the two.
Hey Subaru, Jeep just called from 2014, they want the Cherokee’s headlights back.
oh snap, I can’t unsee it. 2015 Cherokee parts bin fire sale!
Subaru: Wait, you think the new 4runner is ugly? …Hold my beer
What. In the actual f*ck. Is that. Thing?
I’m going to have to change my handle.