Baja: Subaru Australia sees room for a monocoque ute
A ute is still very much on the table for Subaru, especially a light-duty SUV equivalentThe News
Subaru Australia has confirmed there are ongoing discussions around the emergence of a dual-cab ute, with general manager Scott Lawrence identifying room in the local market for an SUV-based monocoque model and revealing there are “a few irons in the fire”.
The Key Details
- Subaru Australia confirms a ute is still very much on the cards
- Could be an SUV-based monocoque like the Ford Maverick
- Scott Lawrence said a ute is “never a no”
- Could feasibly revive the Baja name
The Finer Details
The surprise revelation came at the national media launch of the 2026 Subaru Outback where Lawrence confessed there had been and continued to be discussions of a Subaru-branded ute, though the local boss stopped well short of making any further confirmations.
“There have been discussions of a ute … ute is a conversation and I can’t share much now,” he said during a private interview with carsales.
“Our focus has been really owning the territory that we already have: Forester, Forester Hybrid, symmetrical all-wheel drive, new Outback with Wilderness … strong SUVs; really good quality Japanese product.
“Ute is a conversation and I can’t share much now, but it’s never a no.”
The prospect of a ladder-frame dual-cab has long been an outside possibility for Subaru given its growing synergies with Toyota, i.e. a badge-engineered Toyota HiLux, but with the Wilderness sub-brand now finally headed Down Under and ladder-frame market arguably saturated, there’s plenty of scope for something a little bit more niche.
Pushed on the subject, Lawrence revealed he sees an opportunity for lighter-duty, SUV-based models like the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick in Australia.
“I think there is space for a monocoque style ute,” he said.
“That is a discussion with Subaru Corporation. Nothing to share at this point, but yeah, there’s a few irons in the fire.”
The Road Ahead
One of those irons is a compact electric model co-developed with Toyota and tipped to revive the Brumby nameplate, while another is the aforementioned leveraging of the HiLux.
An outside possibility – and perhaps the best fit for the expanding Wilderness portfolio – is an open-back Outback aimed at buyers with a stronger appetite for adventure or a need for more flexibility than a conventional five-door SUV can offer.
Subaru has form here: the ugly but surprisingly appealing Baja was a ute version of the original Outback offered in North America between 2002 and 2006.
Whatever ends up happening, it likely won’t happen for a little while yet, but we seem to be gradually edging closer to an announcement.
* Some images created with AI assistance
Related: Tough 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness priced
Related: Nissan agrees with Toyota: Peak ute has arrived
Related: Subaru Brumby could return as an all-wheel drive electric ute
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