- Subaru unveiled the seventh-generation Outback at the 2025 New York Auto Show.
- Along with new tech, the redesign includes a change to a taller, more SUV-like shape.
- The automaker hasn’t shared pricing for the 2026 model, but expect at least a modest increase given the new version’s added feature content.
For the Outback’s 30th birthday, Subaru is making some big changes. Most noticeably, the iconic model is transitioning from the wagon we know and love to a more conventional SUV shape. There’s a lot more inside the seventh-generation Outback, including more room than its predecessor. We’ve collected details and specs for this new version and compared them with those of the current model to see just how much has changed.Design and DimensionsWhile still recognizable as an Outback, the 2026 iteration has a decidedly more upright look. Subaru even says its designers purposely emphasized this newfound height with the rear lighting design. Perceived bigness aside, the new model is larger in all three directions. Length is up a little over an inch to 192.3, and body width increases more than an inch and a half to 75.8, while the 2026 model is two inches taller without roof rails than the 2025 model is with them—68.1 versus 66.1 inches. The 108.1-inch wheelbase remains unchanged, as does the 8.7 inches of ground clearance on non-Wilderness models.Subaru2025 Outback WildernessThe 2026 model also features a larger and more upright grille. The utility’s softer edges have been sharpened and its side glass is squared off, resulting in a blocky look akin to that of the latest Subaru Forester. As far as automotive embiggening goes, this one seems successful in that the overall proportioning does still give clear Outback vibes. This is also the first Outback to offer 19-inch wheels from the factory.Interior and CargoThe expansion pays dividends inside, where Subaru promises those two additional inches of height translate to increased headroom and a taller cargo area. Seats-up stowage rises from 33 cubic feet to 35; Subaru hasn’t shared the max cargo volume, but we expect it will meet or beat the current model’s capacity. The width of the cargo bay is the same 43.3 inches as before.Interior design language takes a step forward in the seventh gen, which gets a more simplified look and feel. The headliner, if you were wondering, uses material from 12 recycled plastic bottles, and a slot in each door will accept 32-ounce water receptacles. Sticker-covered Nalgenes rejoice.Hard controls for the climate system are worth celebrating, as Subaru says it ditched the screen-based controls to better accommodate users wearing gloves. The knobs and buttons are situated below a new 12.1-inch center touchscreen that’s standard across the range. It features a new view that supports the available EyeSight-enabled Highway Hands Free Assist function, showing the driver a representation of neighboring vehicles that it detects.PowertrainsThings are familiar under the hood, where Subaru once again offers a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder as the base engine and a turbocharged 2.4-liter on XT and Wilderness trims. The base motor trades 2 horsepower for 2 additional pound-feet of torque, for totals of 180 hp and 176 pound-feet. The turbo carries over its 260-hp and 277-pound-feet ratings from the 2025 model. A continuously variable automatic continues in transmission duty, while the all-wheel-drive system has a standard X-Mode for off-tarmac use. Trims and PriceThe 2026 Outback’s trim lineup largely mirrors that of the 2025’s: Premium, Limited, Touring, Limited XT, Touring XT, and Wilderness. There will be be no base model, at least for 2026, and the Onyx Edition—primarily a dark appearance package built off of the Premium—has been dropped for the time being. No pricing information has been announced for the 2026 Outback yet, but we expect it to carry the usual new-generation markup of a thousand dollars or two above the 2025 Premium’s $32,730 base price. For a vehicle that will be more accommodating for a Costco run, that kind of bulk pricing makes sense.More on the OutbackEver since David was a wee Car and Driver intern, he has kept a spreadsheet listing all the vehicles he’s driven and tested. David really likes spreadsheets. He can parallel-park a school bus and once drove a Lincoln Town Car 63 mph in reverse. After taking a break from journalism to work on autonomous vehicles, he’s back writing for this and other automotive publications. When David’s not searching for the perfect used car, you can find him sampling the latest in gimmicky, limited-edition foodstuffs.
Source: caranddriver.com
