Subaru has never done things conventionally.
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Which is why 2026 is shaping up as a crucial year for the brand, as it tries to turn around some difficult, declining years amid increasing challenges from new brands - including one from within its own house.
Subaru is distributed by a company called Inchcape, which has added the Chinese Deepal brand to its portfolio. Deepal is nowhere near Subaru in terms of sales, but it is one of nearly a dozen new brands to arrive in Australia in the last year or so, which are all fighting for new car sales against the established brands like Subaru.
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The Japanese brand suffered a down year in ‘25, with a decline in sales for most of its models, so a turnaround is as necessary as it is wanted.
Once the brand’s second best-seller, the Outback has declined in recent years, being the lone wagon in the ‘large SUV’ segment. So Subaru is taking a calculated risk, moving away from its wagon-ness and becoming more SUV-like. Will that be the key to unlocking sales growth or a fatal mistake that will drive away loyal buyers? Only time will tell, but it's a chance Subaru needed to take to push back in an increasingly crowded market.
The Outback has always been a steady performer amongst the more conventional large SUVs, so perhaps inching closer in size and style could be just what the brand needs to give its overall sales a boost.
There is definitely potential for Subaru to push its way back into the top 10 in the sales charts, a position it held as recently as 2023. But there is also a danger than more new brands, such as the fast-growing Chery, could leave it on the outside looking in.
That makes 2026 a pivotal year for Subaru, with both a fresh Forester and Outback in showrooms, there will be no excuses for anything below expectation for what have been two of Australia’s favourite cars for years.
