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
Support our mission of championing car culture by becoming an Official Autopian Member.
-
For 30 Years, The Subaru Outback Has Been Proof That Americans Will Buy Wagons
-
The Subaru Trailseeker EV Is A Solterra With A BBL. Expect To See It Everywhere
-
Why The 2025 Subaru Outback Touring XT Is Still The King Of The Midsize Crossovers
-
The Japanese-Market Subaru Forester Goes On A Cladding Binge And The Results Are Astonishing
-
Why The 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid Is The Only Forester You Should Even Consider
Please send tips about cool car things to tips@theautopian.com. You could even win a prize!
Awww. Gone is another wagon from our shores. Welp, it was fun while it lasted.
My eyes!
We owned a 2015 outback and loved it. Sold it in 2020 when we moved overseas. For going on five years, driving a Transit Connect minivan, a BMW X5, and now a xc60PHEV, my wife keeps saying she just wishes she could buy an outback for her next car again…. A bmw and a Volvo, loosing out to the outback. Both are more comfortable , both have more power, more room, and better technology, but neither of them were a friendly but capable wagon that was approachable and just a little bit odd mainstream.
Not anymore! Subaru took the thing people loved about the outback tossed it out. Now there is no reason to buy the subi, just buy the Passport.
I HATE SPLIT HEADLIGHTS!
I knew the moment I saw the camo model a few months back that the Outback would be ruined, but I am truly impressed with how bad looking this thing is. Looks like I’ll be switching brands when my 2023 Crosstrek Sport dies. I am not buying into this new design language one bit.
RIP to one of the last wagons..
Spot on. Even though the new model hasn’t grown significantly in dimensions, the super boxy shape makes it look a LOT bigger. Layer on top of that the mess of plastic cladding and weird shapes they decided to include as styling, this is not an attractive vehicle by any means. Interior is certainly an improvement – but the long expected hybrid is a no show at least for now. They decided to take the bait and go after the faux offroader crowd without actually considering what Outback buyers have actually been wanting…in the long run this will not bode well for the brand as the Outback name will lose what remaining meaning it had left.
Ironically the unexpected Trailseeker that was also dropped feels like a much more fitting spiritual successor for what the Outback has been. EV specs aren’t anything spectacular though – just imagine if they had made that the new Outback and made it a PHEV instead. Currently the brand is neither here nor there in what Outback buyers have actually been wanting.
I 100% agree with the article. The Outback has been ruined. I wouldn’t be surprised if this change bites them in the ass and a part of me hopes it does.
Can we please be done with the Raptor-esque BIG CAPITAL GRILLE LETTERING? Much like fender portals and black wheels, this “styling” trend needs to go away.
This is gross. Every angle is wrong. The split headlights belong on a Chevy, the cladding too.
Welcome to the Aztek of 2025 and in all the worst ways possible, from a styling perspective anyway.
So when are we getting the Levorg?
Admittedly, my dream car would be an AWD wagon with some sporting aspirations (decent power, lots of usable torque, and able to slalom without feeling like its about to roll over), reasonable wheels/tires (we have recurring potholes on both surface streets and interstate highways up here…I need some sidewall, but per above want to be able to change direction), and (if I could dream) a reliable adjustable suspension system to facilitate navigating our (frequently unplowed) winter roads without forcing me to live with a wallowy/NBA level COG type ride for the other eight months of the year.
That said, Subaru: This vehicle is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever seen. At no point in this rambling, incoherent unveiling were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this audience is now dumber for having listened to and/or read it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
The Soul’s a Kia and depending on how aggressively priced the K4 hatchback is, it may have some use for God’s mercy
So a Volvo wagon, then?
An opportunity for Stellantis to pick up another brand in a few years?
We’re getting dangerously close to Aztek territory here
It looks like what I might envision a 2035 Ford Explorer to look like. It also has styling cues reminiscent of the current Chevy Silverado. Which is to say, it’s as ugly as a Willem Dafoe movie villain.
“You know, I’m something of a car designer myself.”
“with the exclusive transmission choice being a CVT,”
Would that be… The Jatco XTronic CVT?
This is a real shame. We tested both the Forester and Outback when we were car shopping years ago. They were both very close in performance and dimensions, but the Outback had a softer, more car-like demeanor–which I liked.
We ended up buying the Outback. I told the saleswoman that I would have happily bought a straight Legacy wagon if they still made such a thing.
Looks like they dialed the “Rugged” dial all the way to “Bro”.
Brogged ™
I generally think people are overtly critical on car designs these days but I have to say this. What the fuck, Subaru? This is such a monumental disaster of a choice by them but that’s just my opinion. I’ll give them points that the interior is better but this design looks like a cheap ass Nissan Pathfinder. Horrible horrible design.
TBH, I think the lack of a good front end picture of the NORMAL version here (not the wilderness edition) does discredit the car a bit. The normal car actually looks pretty decent imho.
That said, the wilderness edition’s styling is awful.
If I could upvote more, I would.
What in the hell am I even looking at? This looks like those cases that electric drills come in.
Keeping the CVT with the 185HP engine in a car that likely is a few hundred pounds heavier thanks to the bodystyle change (and even more shit added to the outside) is going to make this awful to drive. The current one’s already chonky at nearly 3,800 pounds, so this new one is probably closer to 4,100.
Isn’t the Crown Signia a wagon?
Currently this thread is on its 4th page of responses. If nothing else, Subaru has people talking!
Taking a page from the Jaguar playbook!
Subaruined. Should call it a FUBARu.
This is not new, that’s how Subaru has been referring to the Outback for a while. If you read the announcement of the previous-gen Outback:
And just as in today’s press release, the Outback is never referred to as a wagon.
It’s clearly in Subaru’s best interest to have the Outback widely considered an SUV, while it’s also not terrible to have it be thought of by some as a modest wagon.
It’s so much taller than a car, imho it hasn’t been a wagon for years.
When the current gen OB debuted, I was underwhelmed because it was so similar to the outgoing design. But this…I don’t know. Maybe it will be a huge success for them, but my guess is that a lot of loyalists aren’t going to care for it, and they won’t offset that with new buyers.