There’s a Reason the 2026 Subaru Outback Looks So Weird

The secret to some of Subaru’s most successful crossovers isn’t really a secret at all.

To build both the Outback and the smaller Crosstrek, the brand simply took two of its existing cars — the Legacy and Impreza, respectively — and raised their ride heights. Aside from slightly more rugged styling courtesy of some body cladding, that’s all it took to create new models with more appeal than the ones they’re based on. The approach has turned the Outback in particular into perhaps the most widely recognizable Subaru around thanks to its long, wagon-like looks (although the boxy Forester is likely a close second).

While the 2026 Subaru Outback has those same stretched proportions, it’s been restyled to look more SUV-like than ever, for better or worse. Rest assured: there’s a reason the brand went this route, although that doesn’t mean the decision is any less controversial.

Forging Its Own Path

OK, there are actually two reasons the redesigned Outback looks the way it does, although they aren’t mutually exclusive. The first is a rather simple one, according to Evan Lindsey, the Car Line Manager responsible for the Outback’s packaging and pricing at Subaru Canada: since the Legacy has been discontinued, this crossover is no longer constrained by the limitations of its shared engineering with a car.

“From a design perspective, there were some restrictions in terms of how tall the profile of the vehicle could be because it had to share its proportions with a sedan,” Lindsey said. “That’s why the lower, sleeker profile of the Outback … carried through. However, with this new seventh generation, we’re not restricted by those sedan proportions.”

(As a point of clarity, while the Legacy wagon was discontinued long ago, the sedan carried on for years as the fraternal twin of the Outback. That meant a platform and packaging was shared between the two in a way that isn’t entirely unlike the Impreza and Crosstrek, which are physically identical to each other beyond the badges and body cladding.)

Designed to Meet Demand

That means the Outback can lean into a look that’s decidedly different from a car, which is unquestionably the case this time. So while the overall shape is still more wagon-like than most crossovers this size, with a stretched hood and rear quarter glass, it has a bulkier aesthetic than before. And this is where the second — and strongly related — reason the 2026 Outback looks the way it does comes in, according to Lindsey: it’s what some people want.

“Within focus groups and design clinics and that sort of thing, there’s kind of two camps,” Lindsey said. “There were Outback owners that absolutely loved the design and they said, ‘Hey, don’t change it.’”

By contrast, the other group apparently claimed the existing Outback didn’t “look SUV-like enough,” according to Lindsey. And that’s the previously untapped audience Subaru is hoping to attract with the redesigned Outback’s boxy styling, which is said to be paired with the same car-like driving dynamics of old.

“It’s kind of taking those attributes that existing Outback buyers appreciate … and enhancing them,” Lindsey said. “But also at the same time from a styling and design perspective, broadening the appeal.”

Losing its Longstanding Charm

There are more than a few universal truths in the auto industry, and among them is the combination of quirkiness and sensibility that defines most Subaru models — and, indeed, their owners. Despite its growth in recent years, this is still something of an obscure brand that does stuff on its own terms. Take, for example, its dedication to the horizontally-opposed motor, making this the only automaker aside from Porsche to peddle engines with pistons that move sideways instead of up and down.

The same is true of the Outback itself, which debuted 30 years ago at the New York auto show as a very different approach to the conventional wagon. From there, it gained the ground clearance and rugged look we’ve all come to recognize.

“The Outback was previously almost completely unique for being a lifted wagon,” said Clayton Seams, a longtime automotive journalist with Postmedia. “It kind of owned that weird segment.”

It’s that uniqueness that’s helped build a disproportionately passionate fan base over the years — and it’s those same people who are most likely to feel a little disenchanted by the Outback’s new look. Toronto-based Cary Smith said the exceptional styling is what drew him to the Outback in the first place, a vehicle he bought new in 2021 and uses as a daily driver as well as for outdoor activities like camping.

“It’s one of the main reasons that I brought my Outback to begin with,” Smith said. “Because it stands out and it feels more unique to my personality.”

Final Thoughts

While it’s important for any automaker to capture a wider audience — they call it conquesting, whereby they draw customers from other brands, and they love to boast about it — there’s a risk that comes with radical redesign that can alienate existing shoppers. Whether or not that’s the case with the 2026 Outback remains to be seen, although it’s unlikely Smith is alone in feeling put off by the shift to a more anonymous look.

“In the long run it feels like I’m losing optimism in choices for my upgrade that I’ll be looking for in the next couple of years,” Smith said. “If the Outback is going to be looking the same as everything else on the street, I may not look towards that as my next vehicle.”