The Subaru Outback Wilderness Could Get Some Official Off-Road Accessories
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Critical reception of the redesigned 2026 Subaru Outback’s new look hasn’t exactly been positive since it was unveiled at the New York auto show earlier this year.
Most of us here at AutoTrader find it a little too SUV-like in execution, with boxy styling that makes it look far more like a stretched-out Forester than the wagon-based model it’s long been based on. Normally, that would be enough to make the unit on the show floor at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show the type to walk past without a second glance, but a few unique items were enough to catch our attention.
Closer inspection revealed a handful of nicely fitted accessories aimed at enhancing its adventurous form and functionality. And after making inquiries, it turns out the example on display at the auto show in Tokyo wasn’t just some sort of what-if — Subaru is planning to make at least some of the add-ons (and maybe more) available through official channels.
That’s according to the Outback’s lead engineer, Toshihiro Ohya, who we caught up with on the show floor. He said some of the accessories — the off-road driving lights cleanly mounted high at the base of the windshield, for example — are effectively ready to be sold at the dealer level, while others like the Molle panels that mount over the rear quarter windows are still under consideration.
Those ones are especially useful and cool, providing mounting points for various other accessories; in the case of the Outback Wilderness on the show floor, there was a Rotopax water can mounted on each side of the vehicle. More importantly, the racks themselves, which are secured along the outer edges, as well as the roof rails, are perfectly sized to fit over the window panels and even feature the Outback wordmark laser cut along the bottom.
Other accessories on display at the Tokyo show were less groundbreaking, with the sort of platform-style roof rack, accompanying cargo pods, and other goodies — recovery boards and shovel — that can be added to just about any adventure-ready vehicle. It also had a hitch-mounted bike rack with a couple Yamaha e-mountain bikes strapped in for effect. The Outback Wilderness prototype was also riding on much more aggressive all-terrain tires, and It was equipped with side steps. But it was the lights and Molle racks that piqued our interest.
Taken together, the add-ons managed to make the new-look Outback a little easier on the eyes. It’s certainly a bold redesign, although it’s one with a purpose, but the trail-ready aesthetic helps to distract from some of the more controversial styling elements that have been included this time around.
Of course, the other caveat to consider is whether or not any of this stuff would make it to Canadian shores. But you can count us among those who certainly hope so.
