The 2026 Subaru Outback: Thirty Years On, the Wagon Finally Becomes an SUV — Rated 8/10
Subaru's seventh-generation Outback abandons the low-slung wagon shape for an upright body, adds two new 12-inch screens and keeps 260 turbocharged horsepower on the options list. Prices open at $40,895. The Torbrook rating: 8/10.
The seventh-generation Outback settles an argument the nameplate has been having with itself for three decades. Since 1994 the Outback has been a station wagon wearing hiking boots — raised, clad in black plastic, but unmistakably a wagon. The 2026 car stops pretending. The roofline is upright, the body squared off, the silhouette frankly that of a sport-utility vehicle. Whether that is a loss or an overdue admission depends entirely on what drew a buyer to the car in the first place.
Four trims are offered in Canada. The Touring opens the range at $40,895, followed by the Limited XT at $48,195, the off-road-themed Wilderness at $49,195 and the Premier XT at $51,195. The old Convenience trim is gone, making Touring the new entry point.
Two Boxer engines split the lineup. The Touring uses a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre flat-four making 180 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque. Every other trim gets the 2.4-litre turbocharged Boxer, which lifts output to 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet available from 2,000 rpm. Both drive through Subaru's high-torque Lineartronic continuously variable transmission with an eight-speed manual mode, and — as on every Subaru sold here bar the BRZ — Symmetrical full-time all-wheel drive is standard across the board.
The utility numbers are the reason people buy these. Ground clearance is 220 millimetres, rising to 240 on the Wilderness. Cargo capacity is 980 litres behind the second row and 2,280 litres with it folded, identical across trims. Towing is rated at 1,224 kilograms for the Touring and 1,588 kilograms for every turbocharged model. The roof rails are rated to carry 100 kilograms on the move. Fuel consumption for the base Touring is 9.3 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 7.5 on the highway; the turbocharged cars run 11.0 and 8.3.
Inside, both principal screens are new: a 12.1-inch Subaru Multimedia display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, paired with a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster. EyeSight driver assistance remains standard and gains three functions this year — Emergency Lane Keep Assist, Emergency Stop Assist and Acceleration Override Assist. Side and rear vehicle detection, a hands-free power liftgate, a power sunroof and a wireless charging pad are standard equipment. Seating is for five.
The timing is not accidental. The Outback marks its thirtieth anniversary this year, having debuted at the 1994 New York show as a rugged version of the Legacy wagon, and Subaru Canada closed 2025 with a record 70,953 vehicles sold in this country.
An 8/10 from the Torbrook Rating Agency reflects a redesign that adds capability and screen technology without giving up the all-wheel-drive hardware that defines the nameplate. The specifications above are Subaru's; the score is ours.
This review assesses the vehicle on its published specifications and the manufacturer's stated figures. It is not based on a road test by the Rating Agency, and the score is the Agency's own independent judgment. Subaru did not request, pay for, or have advance knowledge of this review. Ratings cannot be bought.