Australian government documents have revealed the next-generation Subaru Outback could arrive in local showrooms months earlier than initially expected, with 2.4-litre turbo-petrol power set to continue.
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The next-generation 2026 Subaru Outback SUV has moved one step closer to an Australian launch in right-hand drive, despite the local importer's silence on the new model.
Australian government approval documents sighted by Drive reveal Subaru has initiated the local homologation process for the seventh-generation Outback, which debuted at the New York motor show in the US in April alongside the similarly sized, electric Subaru Trailseeker.
The timing of the documents suggests the first customer deliveries could potentially commence in Australia early next year.
For context, the public-facing government approval process for the new-generation Forester commenced in February 2025, about six months before its July launch, while there was a similar timeline for the Crosstrek in late 2022 ahead of its mid-2023 arrival.
It will replace the current, sixth-generation Outback wagon launched in Australia in February 2021, almost two years after the US, leading to speculation that the new-generation model could take a year or longer to arrive in Australia.
However, with production of US-bound examples moving to Japan for the new model – its former Indiana, US factory now builds the smaller Forester and Crosstrek SUVs – it appears to have opened the door for an Australian launch only a few months after the US, rather than years.
The new-generation Outback will not be offered in Japan or Europe, including the United Kingdom, leaving Australia – and likely New Zealand – as one of the only right-hand drive markets in line to receive the new model.
In Europe and the UK, the 'E-Outback' name will be applied to the electric Trailseeker, aiming to fill the nameplate's void in this market.
A Subaru Australia spokesperson told Drive "we are unable to comment on speculation", noting any official product announcements will be shared "when available".
At its reveal in April, the spokesperson said: "We look forward to sharing what these global debuts mean for the Australian market in due course. Stay tuned."
The approval documents confirm Subaru intends to launch the new Outback with its familiar 2.5-litre non-turbo four-cylinder and 2.4-litre turbocharged petrol 'boxer' engines, matched to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) automatic and all-wheel drive.
Further details, including whether the off-road-focused Wilderness variant is bound for Australia, have not been disclosed in the government documents, which currently include limited information about the new model.
While previous versions of the Outback have been related to the Liberty sedan – with earlier generations being high-riding Liberty wagons with black plastic cladding – the sedan's demise has allowed Subaru to start fresh with the 2026 model, which adopts a boxier SUV-like design.
Compared to the current model, it is 51mm taller with squared-off edges, while its cabin has been overhauled with a 12.1-inch infotainment touchscreen running new software, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and dedicated air-conditioning controls with physical buttons.
In the US, the Outback Wilderness offers 20mm more ground clearance, improved off-road angles of 20-degree approach, 21.2-degree breakover and 22.5-degree departure – up from 18, 19.4 and 21.4 degrees, respectively – and 17-inch alloy wheels with all-terrain tyres.
More details on the 2026 Subaru Outback SUV will be shared closer to its Australian launch in the coming months.
VFACTS new-car sales data shows 4771 examples of the Subaru Outback have been reported as sold between January and June 2025, making it Australia's second-favourite car-based large SUV behind the Kia Sorento (5165).
The wagon-styled five-seater is ahead of the Toyota Kluger (4611), Hyundai Santa Fe (3212), Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace (2092) and Mazda CX-80 (2065) SUVs, despite lacking third-row seating for six or seven passengers, which is typically found in its closest rivals.
It is Subaru's third-best-selling vehicle in Australia, below the mid-size Forester (6495) and small Crosstrek (6002), and above the WRX sedan/wagon (1145), Impreza hatch (939), BRZ coupe (437), and Solterra EV (121).
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Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
