Squint hard enough and, sure, you still see some of the Outback’s signature proportions; but almost all of the original character’s gone. What you get instead is a cookie-cutter mid-sized SUV that focuses solely on ruggedness. What’s worse is that while the Forester is bland, this one’s ugly too; so much so that Subaru barely talks about design details and instead points people to things like the roof rails which have a 362-kilogram (800-pound) static load capacity and 90-kilogram (220-pound) dynamic load rating. The same roof rail’s been rated for lateral load capacity of 90 kilograms.

If you still insist on talking about its design, the Outback now joins the rest of the SUV circus in getting tons of scratch-resistant plastics, compound headlights with the DRLs and main beams separated, and a giant squared-off grille. At the back, it’s equally generic with Subaru’s take on an expansive vertical LED taillight and even more black scratch-resistant plastic. The chunky proportions necessitated sizing up the wheels to 19 inches.

Inside, the Outback gets an equally bland cabin with a 12.3-inch full digital gauge cluster and a 12.1-inch infotainment display. The infotainment system drops the Subaru Starlink system for what looks like the one used by Toyota and Lexus. Thankfully, there’s a resistance to having too much touch controls with even the climate control moving back to being hard buttons once more. Weirdly enough, the color’s now back to a retro green shade.

One positive to take away from the new design is that the bigger body has resulted in much more space than before. With a taller roofline (+51 mm), there’s more headroom than ever, while the cargo hold’s more expansive with 980 liters (34.6 cubic feet) of space—56.6 liters (2 cubic feet) more than before. The load floor is also much wider—at 1,100 mm (43.3 inches)—it’s class-leading. The seats are now mounted directly to the body and has a new construction for better comfort. The cushions are also adjustable too, presumably to fit Americans—Subaru’s primary market—better.

Powering the all-new Outback is a pair of carryover powertrains. The base 2.5-liter normally-aspirated Boxer still makes 180 horsepower and 241 Nm while a turbocharged 2.4-liter with 260 horsepower and 375 Nm of torque is found in the Outback XT. Both models have standard all-wheel drive (of course) and CVT gearbox (of course).

Platform-wise, the Outback continues with the same Subaru Global Platform but with a revised steering system. The dual-pinion system, derived from the WRX, offers a more direct and natural steering feel, while the variable-gear ratio should give it better low-speed handling and high-speed stability. Improved chassis tuning means less lateral sway (-42 percent) and aero tweaks result in 10 percent less wind noise. Ground clearance has been retained at 220 mm (8.7 inches). The all-wheel drive system’s been retuned too for quicker responses as is the X-Mode system.

Like every Subaru, safety’s an important pillar. The Subaru EyeSight is standard issue, but new to the Outback (and the first time for any Subaru for that matter) is Emergency Stop Assist with Safe Lane Selection. If the driver becomes unresponsive, the system will change lanes if needed to pull the vehicle over safely to the shoulder, activate the hazard lamps, notify emergency services, and unlock the doors for first responders. The Outback can also travel at up to 137 km/h (85 mph) hands-free on certain predetermined highways, while Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control with Pre-Curve Speed Control can help to slow the vehicle in its lane before the curve for easier driving.

The all-new Outback will launch first for the North American market by late 2025. Other markets, such as the Philippines, will presumably follow sometime in 2026.