Posted Thursday, April 17, 2025 at 9:38pm
When it first launched an “Outback” as little more than a trim level for the Legacy wagon, Subaru possibly didn’t expect it to become arguably as much of a brand icon for the company as the rally-bred WRX.
It should have, however, because all-wheel-drive wagons are part of the genesis story of the brand, specifically the eight special-order FF-1 wagons built as service vehicles for the Tohoku power company of northern Japan. Go-anywhere wagon practicality is a major star in the Pleiades sales constellation. With all that as its backstory, the new Outback has some seriously big hiking boots to fill. So let’s wander back to the trailhead of where the Outback first came, then traipse through the switchbacks that got it to where it is today with the seventh-generation vehicle. Grab your hiking poles and your Gorp. It’s time to get all outdoorsy.
