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Standing out from the hordes of shiny new SUVs is no easy task, especially in 2026, but it’s a challenge the Subaru Outback has revelled in during its 30-year tenure in Australia.
First released in 1996 as a high-riding, quasi off-road version of the Subaru Liberty wagon, the Outback has become a staple among families, fleets and retirees, offering space, grace and dependable charm.
With the Subaru Liberty going the way of the dodo, the Outback is now a model in its own right in seventh-generation form, a trait which has given way to a taller, boxier design and in Subaru’s words “SUV-style proportions”.
Ground clearance is up 7mm to 220mm while approach and departure angles have also been enhanced. Overall dimensions (4880mm long, 1880mm wide, 2745mm wheelbase) are much the same.
Prices are also up across the board in a Subaru Outback range that also includes a new ‘Wilderness’ flagship model.
Has Subaru gone a step too far and homogenised the Outback into just another SUV? Our first impression suggests it might have.
The Subaru Outback range now kicks off at $48,990 plus on-road costs for 2026 – a considerable $4800 increase on the outgoing sixth-generation model.
What’s more, there are incremental pricing increases across the five-variant Outback range.
The middle-grade Outback AWD Premium is priced at $53,490 (up $4800), while the topping the regular range is the Outback AWD Touring for $56,990 (up $4500).
Separately, the Subaru Outback Wilderness range usurps the Outback XT in Subaru’s line-up, with bolder styling, a higher ride height and the adoption of a more powerful turbo-petrol engine.
The two-variant Wilderness model walk starts at $59,690 plus ORCs (up $6000 on the former Sport XT), while the Outback Wilderness Apex crowns the line-up at $62,690 plus ORCs (a $5200 premium over the former Touring XT).
Along with additional cladding and cosmetic bling – including a fairly gaudy grille and wheel arch cladding that divided opinion at the national launch – the Wilderness gets a healthy uptick in performance courtesy of a turbo engine and raised ride height.
High-riding wagon options aren’t as plentiful as they once were, so finding a logical rival for the Outback is hard. For SUVs, we reckon the excellent Hyundai Santa Fe (from $54,000 plus ORCs) and Kia Sorento (from $54,630 plus ORCs) are sound alternatives.
In short, well proportioned.
Subaru’s insistence on boxier dimensions has liberated excellent spatial qualities across both rows of seating, together with a 530-litre boot area that is conveniently underslung by a full-size spare tyre (other car makers take note). Less becoming is the flimsy luggage cover fitted to our test examples.
The Outback model range offers excellent day-to-day amenity, with cavernous door openings, an open glasshouse design and excellent incidental storage.
There are numerous power outlets front and rear, separate air vents, and decent contact points in all grades (even the base car offers synthetic leather seats, heated up front, rear privacy glass, thick carpets and nice-to-touch door trims).
The seventh-generation Outback takes on added tactility with the reinstatement of hard-wired air-conditioning controls, after its predecessor relocated some of that functionality within the touchscreen display. The move has wrought easier access to everyday functions, such as recirculated air and fan speed.
Moreover, the new 13.1-inch digital instrument display continues to offer similar legibility for older eyes, offering easier navigation than the smaller 4.2-inch partially digital display it replaces.
The cabin feels well put together and space is plentiful. We spent a good hour in the rear seat of our test car, and found useful outward vision, comfortable seats and plenty of shoulder room, head room, knee room and toe room, with only a minimal transmission hump.
The seventh-generation Outback muddies the waters of its predecessors, verging more on an SUV than ever before with a boxier design, higher ride height and increased price.
While the long line of SUV buyers will no doubt see those features as virtues, it feels as though the changes have diluted the core appeal of the Outback, once an antidote to the modern SUV.
While convincing in parts, we reckon Subaru has missed an opportunity by ditching its predecessor Outback XT nameplate – a grade which blended the more conservative looks of the regular Outback with the superior performance of the Wilderness.
In any case, the Outback is dearer, heavier and more complicated than before. Time will tell whether loyal Outback followers agree with the changes.
What we liked
What could be better?
