Subaru owners are an eclectic lot, some embracing the wild outdoors and others just looking for a family truckster. For 30 years, the Outback has been the brand’s icon that once claimed to have “more cargo space than a Honda Passport, more driver headroom than a Jeep Cherokee, ground clearance like a Ford Explorer, plus the riding comfort and fuel economy of a passenger car.”

“It’s one of our core models,” said Nicole Riedel, Outback carline planning manager at Subaru. “It ushered in the smaller SUV body style: utilitarian, easy to drive, and gets you anywhere.”

In any given year, Subaru sales are closely divided between Outback, Forester and Crosstrek, the latter two being smaller but heavily influenced by their elder the Outback.

“It’s the model most people associate with the brand,” said Brian Wong, Edmunds senior reviews editor. “It’s unique with positioning in the market. It always had enough ground clearance, able to get down any fire road to a campsite, capable in ways other vehicles similar in price and size are not.”

Billed as the “world’s first sport-utility wagon” and pitched by actor Paul Hogan of "Crocodile Dundee" fame, the original Outback came only with a 155 horsepower 2.5-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine. A redesign in 2000 added an available 3.0-liter H6 engine and upscale L.L. Bean edition. With the 2004 third generation, Subaru added sleeker styling and a 2.5-liter turbo-four from the rally-ready WRX.

Outback grew to mid-size crossover proportions in 2010, adding heated leather seats, Harman Kardon audio and Subaru’s twin-camera “EyeSight” crash avoidance system. A rugged 8.7 inches of ground clearance appealed to explorers who chose 2.5-liter H4 and 3.6-liter H6 engines. A luxury Touring edition came later. The most recent model that debuted for 2020 added tablet-style touchscreens, blacked out Onyx trim and XT versions with 260 horsepower turbo-four engines.

None compared to the Outback Wilderness, which launched Subaru’s adventure brand with 9.5 inches of ground clearance, enhanced traction and fortified roof rack for off-grid tent camping. Abundant body cladding and black wheels give it a sinister look. It’s standard turbo-four clicks 0-60 mph in under 6 seconds, on par with WRX.

From first Outback to the outgoing sixth-generation Wilderness, they all looked like wagons. That’s changing with a sweeping redesign for 2026.

“They brought it in line with how other SUVs look,” Wong said. “It’s actually not that big — only 2 inches taller. Wheelbase is the same, powertrain is the same, and it rides on the same platform. It’s meant to appeal to those who want more SUV styling without alienating those who wanted a wagon. Brand loyalty is absolutely off the chart, so there’s a delicate balance.”

No doubt, owners revel in the car’s versatility. Search YouTube videos of the Outback challenging serious offroaders or busting through snow. The wagon profile let owners stand on the ground while lifting bikes, kayaks and skis onto the roof. The Outback routinely tops IIHS crash tests.

“It has a very loyal owner base, many people buying three, four or five vehicles,” Riedel said. “We wanted loyal owners to love this car as much as any previous generation. Ingress, egress and ground clearance are super important to owners. We didn’t mess with dimensions too much.”

I own a 2022 Outback Wilderness and know there’s room for improvement. Before software upgrades, the infotainment system was slow to boot up and sometimes went wonky. It’s time to add the latest infotainment, safety and hands-off driving tech, too. I love my wagon’s profile and performance, so I was skeptical about the new upright style of the 2026 model.

“You can see lots of points of owner’s direct feedback,” Riedel said. "There’s a new head unit with new software and redesigned physical buttons that function with gloves on. We also added a digital gauge cluster. It’s a calmer, cleaner design.”

It still looks very Subaru with black body cladding and 8.7 inches of standard ground clearance. Roof rails hold 800 pounds of static load. True adventurers will appreciate the new Wilderness edition with 9.5 inches of ground clearance, electronically controlled suspension dampers and all-terrain tires. It’s more convenient too.

“I like what they did with the cargo area,” Wong said. “Nobody has really innovated secure storage in the back of SUVs. It’s either uncovered or you have to carry around a giant tonneau that sits in your garage. When not using this one, it just folds up like a blanket in the back of the car.”

Gone is the cantankerous touchscreen, replaced by a 12.1-inch widescreen. Subaru’s three-camera EyeSight crash avoidance system now supports hands-free highway driving up to 85 mph. If the driver becomes unresponsive, the car can pull over and call emergency services. All-wheel-drive with X-Mode to maximize traction is standard.

“We talked to owners who wanted just a little more headroom,” Riedel said. “The hip point is about an inch higher, but it still feels very much like an Outback. The rake of the windshield glass is very much like a car. We tried luggage and every cup size owners could imagine to make sure they fit.”

As before, Outback comes with a choice of horizontally opposed four-cylinder engines: a 2.5-liter delivering 180 horsepower in XT and Wilderness versions, a 2.4-liter turbocharged unit delivering 260 horsepower. The continuously variable transmission can be manually shifted through eight gear ratios.

I wonder what reactions the new Outback has been getting.

“It’s been generally positive,” Riedel said. “It looks different, but very much like the Outback I know and love. As we look forward, we’re seeing much more upright looks being popular. That’s especially true with millennials and Gen-Z. We wanted to give it additional functionality. It’s just a new, fun look for the Outback’s 30th birthday.”

The 2026 Subaru Outback will be available in Premium, Limited, Touring, Limited XT, Touring XT, and Wilderness trim levels when it begins sales in late 2025. Wilderness editions join early in 2026. Pricing will be given closer to launch.

“Subaru customers will be happy with the changes, (which) fixed some of the pain points,” Wong said. “I miss wagon styling, but understand why they did it. Sales have tapered off 8% year-over-year. This should reinvigorate interest in the vehicle.”

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