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The managing director of Subaru's Australian arm says 18-inch wheels on the Outback Wilderness are the best fit to balance on and off-road use.
Subaru Australia's new Outback Wilderness will differ from overseas counterparts with larger wheels fitted that are “the best product for Australian consumers”, but they come with a drop-off in off-road capability.
While the new Wilderness variants are being positioned as off-road-ready versions of Subaru's large SUV-styled wagon, they ride on 18-inch wheels with highway tyres.
It is unlike many overseas markets, such as the US, which get 17-inch wheels and all-terrain rubber.
Speaking at the Outback's launch in regional New South Wales, Managing Director of Subaru Australia, Scott Lawrence, said the bigger wheels offer the “best of both worlds” for people using the car as both a daily driver and weekend warrior.
“Like anything, there is a sacrifice with wheels. The real territory land for Subaru is a car that handles exceptionally well on the road, as well as off-road,” he told Drive.
“In our view, in our testing, you sacrifice a little bit too much of the on-road day-to-day [performance] with some of the all-terrain tyres that you see in North America, for example.
“So we went for the best of both worlds, which is what the car has now. We think that fits Australian conditions better, but we will have options for consumers in terms of more aggressive all-terrain tyres if they so wish.”
While a Subaru Australia YouTube video shows the Outback Wilderness grade specified with 17-inch wheels and tyres, the wheel design differs, and the Bridgestone Dueler all-terrain tyres are stamped with white lettering not present on the locally sold Bridgestone Alenza highway tyres.
The video states that the overseas model shown may differ from Australian examples, as is common with most new car models that launch overseas before they come to Australia.
However, it only mentions the optional premium paint, not the wheels and tyres.
The adventure-leaning Wilderness also adds to its off-road credibility with 20mm more ground clearance, improved approach, ramp breakover, and departure angles, a water-repellent interior, and a 2.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, all different to other Outbacks.
Lawrence told Drive Subaru Australia is “working on packages” and other options to enhance the off-road capability of the Outback Wilderness, but couldn’t yet say what these were.
He added the choice to change the wheel and tyre package was a local decision, not made by headquarters in Japan, and that Subaru is looking to offer all-terrain options for customers during delivery.
“We’re working through some options. It’s probably too early to confirm what that would look like,” Lawrence told Drive.
“The team had significant customer and consumer insights, dealer feedback, and syndicated surveys.
“But my view is, the best product for Australian consumers is the tyres that we have picked and the wheel size [offers the] best of both worlds.
“We will support consumers in making the adjustments they see fit to suit their lifestyle, but I would say that the number of customers who will exchange the wheels will be the minority of Outback owners.
“It won't be the majority that will go out and do that.”
Many modern SUVs, in particular, are specified with larger wheels for a more premium aesthetic, but generally, smaller wheels with chunkier tyres are better suited to off-roading.
Smaller alloys paired with all-terrain tyres offer better protection against rim damage thanks to their higher sidewall height, as well as improved traction on rugged surfaces.
The new 2026 Subaru Outback is on sale now with three more road-oriented grades, the 2.5, Premium 2.5 and Touring 2.5, powered by the brand’s 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated boxer petrol engine.
The new off-road-focused Wilderness and Wilderness Apex grades use an uprated version of the old XT’s 2.4-litre turbocharged petrol unit.
A born-and-bred newshound, Kathryn has worked her way up through the ranks reporting for, and later editing, two renowned UK regional newspapers and websites, before moving on to join the digital newsdesk of one of the world’s most popular newspapers – The Sun. More recently, she’s done a short stint in PR in the not-for-profit sector, and led the news team at Wheels Media.
