2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness First Look: Land Cruisers, Beware?

• The Subaru Outback is all-new for 2026.
• And of course, there's a new Wilderness model too.
• Here's everything you need to know.

Toughened up 

The Wilderness, as the name suggests, has to be a more rugged offering than the standard Outback, else there'd be no reason for it to exist. Separating the Wilderness from standard Outback models (visually, at least), there is quite a lot more black plastic on the outside than there was before. Almost the entire front lacks any paint whatsoever (so you can't scratch it), and the black body cladding along the sides extends much farther than it used to. 

Going Wild(erness) also brings a new wheel-and-tire package. The wheels measure 17 inches and are wrapped in Bridgestone Dueler all-terrain tires. Ground clearance rises from 8.7 inches on the standard car to 9.5 inches in the Wilderness, while approach, breakover and departure angles are 20 degrees, 21.2 degrees and 22.5 degrees, respectively — all of those figures are improvements over the old car. 

To add a little context, Toyota's rough-and-tumble, body-on-frame Land Cruiser only has 8.7 inches of ground clearance. The Outback can't quite match the LC's approach and breakover angles (departure still goes to the Subaru), but this thing will be plenty capable off-road right out of the box.

While we aren't worried about how it'll handle that fire road to your favorite campground, the last Wilderness was a fine soft off-roader, it managed to feel sloppy and wallowy when you're on paved roads. The improvements Subaru made to the Outback's skeleton (namely a 42% increase in lateral stiffness) should help remedy that nicely, but we won't know for sure until we drive it later this year. 

Tech improvements = better off-roading

All Outbacks are getting a big tech upgrade. But there are a few bits of newness Wilderness owners are going to take advantage of in particular. The new camera array (accessed by a shortcut button in the center console) gives access to a plethora of views, and they're all displayed in a much higher resolution on the Subie's new interior screen. 

These are going to be extremely helpful for navigating tight trails because of how much real-time information they give. X-Mode, something that's been on Subarus for a while, has also been updated and works at a higher speed. Think of it as a default program for the stability control that allows a touch more slip at the wheels to help you navigate deep mud, snow or soft sand with a bit more finesse. 

The engine remains the same 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine (that's paired up to a CVT and all-wheel-drive system) as before. It kicks out 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. The Wilderness also now features ladder-style roof rails with an 800-pound static load capacity (which drops to 220 pounds while you're on the move), and it has a max towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. More than enough for your dingy. 

The Outback Wilderness will go on sale later this year with a starting price of around $42,000. Stay tuned to learn how it drives and if it's a worthwhile upgrade over the last Outback.