Turbocharged all-terrain family wagon arrives with new-generation standard variants
The News
The new-generation 2026 Subaru Outback has been priced from $48,990 plus on-road costs (ORCs), with five variants set to be offered across the Outback, Premium, Touring, Wilderness, and Wilderness Apex grades.
The Key Details
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Range opens from $48,990 (plus ORCs) and Wilderness from $59,690 (plus ORCs)
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Off-road heroes come with turbo power by default
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Prices up more than $4000 across the board
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Subaru Aus yet to announce concrete ETA
The Finer Details
Having debuted at the New York motor show in April, the seventh-gen Outback is just about here and it’s launching with not one, but two hardcore Wilderness variants at the top of tree.
However, starting at the bottom of the range, the entry-level Outback all-wheel drive (AWD) is powered by a carryover 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine developing 137kW/254Nm – 1kW less than before – but stands 7mm higher off the ground than its predecessor and offers an extra 8-litre of boot space (530L).
Standard equipment highlights on the base model include 18-inch alloy wheels, synthetic leather upholstery, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a new-generation 12.1-inch infotainment system, heated front seats with power adjustment for the driver, powered tailgate, wireless smartphone mirroring, and ladder style roof racks.
Headline safety gear, meantime, includes an upgraded Subaru Eyesight system (wide-angle camera, emergency driving stop); the Subaru Vision Assist suite (blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, forward and reverse AEB, front side radar); nine airbags; and driver monitoring.
Above that, the Premium adds a heated steering wheel, satnav, power-adjustable passenger seat, a 360-degree camera, powered sunroof, and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system.
The Touring goes further with Nappa leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, heated rear outboard seats, wireless phone charging, machine-faced alloys, and auto-dipping power-folding wing mirrors.
Scooting sideways, the Wilderness AWD is based loosely on the base AWD but ups the ante with unique electronic suspension, 240mm of ground clearance, all-terrain tyres, water-repellent upholstery, two off-road X-Mode drive programs, a heated steering wheel and heated rear outboard seats, wireless phone charging, an auto-dimming mirror, and dual exhaust outlets.
The tailpipes mark the presence of a 194kW/382Nm 2.4-litre turbo-petrol engine and a revised continuously variable transmission (CVT) which gifts the Wilderness more performance, lower gearing, and more versatility.
For an extra $3000, the Wilderness Apex adds the Premium’s powered sunroof, satnav, 360-degree camera, and 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system.
The Wilderness variants will be easy to spot thanks to their orange exterior and interior accents, black 18-inch alloy wheels, all-terrain tyres, extra ride height, and exclusive front and rear aprons designed to improve the Outback’s off-road angles.
The Road Ahead
Order books for the new Outback opened today, with the first demonstrators – Wilderness included – already on local soil and ready for test drives at select dealerships.
The first major batch of customer cars is due to arrive in the second quarter of 2026, but Subaru has encouraged customers to speak with their preferred outlet for order specifics.
All new Outbacks are covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, as per the previous model.
How much does the 2026 Subaru Outback cost?
AWD – $48,990 (+$4800)
Premium AWD – $53,490 (new)
Touring AWD – $56,990 (+4500)
Wilderness AWD – $59,690 (new)
Wilderness Apec AWD – $62,690 (new)
* Prices exclude on-road costs
