2026 Subaru Outback: Everything We Know So Far

The Subaru Outback has been a popular station wagon since 2000 and it looks like its legacy won't stop in 2026. Still, it may not be what long-time Subaru drivers expect from the Outback as changes in design are revealed. 

Counting the 1990s Legacy Outback, the Subaru has released six generations up until this point and all of them have improved on the Outback's features while staying true to what it's known for — all-wheel drive ruggedness and extreme reliability. It's also largely looked the same throughout the past few decades, keeping a fairly similar design. Recently leaked images of the 2026 Subaru Outback show that the iconic car may be getting a makeover. 

The spy photographs show a heavily camouflaged 2026 Subaru Outback driving through the Michigan roads in October 2024. Despite its attempt at hiding its new design, sharp-eyed car spotters saw a lot of visual upgrades that are meant to further separate it from the Forester, which has continued to outsell the Outback in recent years. Will these updates be what the Outback needs to stand out come 2026? 

Auto News was the first to leak the images of the new generation Outback and digital artist Kolesa has since attempted to create photos based on the camo car, immediately revealing massive visual differences from previous Outback models. First is the overall shape — the 2026 Subaru Outback looks boxier than before thanks to its taller design. It's also losing its station wagon roundness for the popular sharp and more aggressive look of modern car designs.

Leaning into that SUV style, the next generation Outback also appears to have a taller rear pillar. This will improve its already highly rated interior cargo space, a massive selling point of the Outback for those looking for a reliable family car or a great camping car. The spy photos also show a new grille design and LED daytime running lights. Auto News also points out a small rear difference in the wheels, which aligns with Subaru's plans to place the engine and electric motor up front with a driveshaft reaching back to power the rear wheels, ensuring all-wheel drive even in the electric future of car design.

Aside from the leaked images of the camouflaged 2026 Subaru Outback, not much is known about the model since almost nothing has been confirmed by Subaru. It's difficult to know exactly what's going on underneath the hood but we can speculate based on Subaru's public plans for its line of cars.

Subaru previously announced that the Forester would be hybrid starting in 2026, so it seems more than likely that the Outback will also be hybrid. This seems to be the case based on a closer look at the spy photos, as previously stated. It wouldn't be surprising for Subaru to include the Outback in its stated plan of "electrified" car models making up "40 percent global sales" by 2030. No matter if Subaru moves to this hybrid model or keeps its 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, it will most definitely have all wheel drive. 

The price and trim are also not known but going off of past price ranges, the 2026 Outback Subaru will probably be $35,000 to $40,000, maybe near $50,000 for the hybrid version.