For over 30 years now, the Subaru Outback has been the car of choice for old-money types in the British countryside. They fill them with Barbour jackets and many Labradors, run them into the ground, and when they finally give up the ghost, replace them with a new one.
From now on, though, those farmhouse-dwelling tweed enthusiasts will have to look elsewhere when the time eventually comes to weigh in their old Outbacks for scrap, because while there is a new model, it’s not coming to Europe.
Subaru Outback – side
There’s another big change, too. For its first six generations, the Outback has essentially been a jacked-up Legacy estate, but with the death of the Legacy last year, Subaru’s had to take a new approach with the new one, and somewhat inevitably, it’s now yet another SUV.
Taller and chunkier than what’s come before, the new Outback comes with a choice of two flat-four engines in the US. There’s a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre with 180bhp, and, optional to the XT trim and the only choice for the range-topping Wilderness, a 2.4-litre turbo with 260bhp. Both engines come paired exclusively with a CVT gearbox and Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive.
Subaru Outback – interior
They all get the latest version of Subaru’s X-Mode terrain response system and a 221mm ground clearance, which should help off-road, while on the road, handling and stability are said to be enhanced by the fitment of the steering rack from the WRX.
Really adventurous types will want that top Wilderness trim, which is the one that looks like it’s crashed into a branch of Mountain Warehouse. It gets an extra 20mm of ground clearance plus improved approach, breakover and departure angles, reworked suspension for better off-road performance, and all-terrain Bridgestone tyres as standard.
Subaru Outback Wilderness – rear
Whatever version you get, you’ll be treated to a new 12.1-inch infotainment screen, and though the outgoing car was one of the last holdouts for good old-fashioned analogue dials, the new one’s gone over to the dark side and gained a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. There’s Subaru’s full suite of EyeSight driver assist systems too.
If you’re in North America, then the new Outback will launch late this year, with the Wilderness version following early in 2026. It won’t be long, then, before the Pacific Northwest is crawling with them, but don’t expect to see it mixing with older Outbacks in the Cotswolds. We will, though, be getting the new Trailseeker, which is essentially the Outback gone electric.
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