Wild Subaru Baja tough truck ute rendered

Will Subaru exploit its relationship with Toyota to develop and launch its own rock-crushing ute – perhaps something like the hard-core Subaru Baja dual-cab you see here?

Right now, there’s nothing official from Subaru or Toyota concerning such a project, but one look at these speculative renders is certain to get the discussion around a Subaru Baja ute started.

Because whether you call it a ute, a pick-up truck or a bakkie, the idea of a Subaru Baja with Forester-inspired optics certainly has legs – and the tough, angular look shown here offers plenty of visual appeal.

If such a vehicle were to be developed, the Toyota HiLux would hypothetically become the donor car for the Subaru Baja, pictured here as a flagship hard-core Subaru Baja Wilderness-inspired model complete with all-terrain tyres, lift kit, LED spot lights, wheel-arch extensions, front bash plate, rock sliders and more.

Should the Ford Ranger Raptor be worried?

Subaru Australia has already confirmed the brand’s US-developed off-road Wilderness sub-brand will be coming to Australia, upgrading models such as the Forester, Outback and Crosstrek with all-terrain tyres, lift kits and gearing tweaks.

Given that Toyota and Subaru have launched several successful badge-engineered collaborations in the past – the Toyota GR 86 and Subaru BRZ, and Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra chief among them – it would be folly to instantly dismiss the idea of a Subaru ute in future.

Toyota also owns a 20 per cent stake in Subaru’s parent company and it wouldn’t be unforeseen for the relationship to be leveraged in such a way.

With the Kia Tasman ute set to be revealed in March 2024 ahead of Aussie customer deliveries by mid-2025, it’s clear that more brands are keen to join the ute party.

Hyundai is set to deploy a Ford Ranger rival a year after Kia, while Fiat and Renault are also pondering a ute foray on Aussie soil.

If Subaru Heavy Industries CEO Atsushi Osaki did convince Toyota to share its HiLux hardware, it would likely be based on the next-generation 2025 HiLux architecture (TNGA-F). This platform also underpins the LandCruiser 300 and 250/Prado and Tundra, which means it would potentially have access to a range of diesel and petrol engines.

Top of the list would be the ageing 2.8-litre four-cylinder oiler (150kW/500Nm), now with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, as Toyota would likely keep its advanced powertrains to itself, like the LC300’s 3.3-litre turbo-diesel V6 (227kW/700Nm) and the 2.4-litre turbo-petrol hybrid (243kW/630Nm) from the Tacoma.

A jointly-developed EV ute might also figure in such a program, with Subaru already committing to eight new electric vehicles by 2028.

Whether this hypothetical pick-up truck is powered by petrol, diesel, electric or a combination thereof, it should be noted that Subaru has a long history of developing, researching and selling utes, the most recent of which was the Subaru Baja sold in the US.

It was essentially a Subaru Outback with rear bed and was sold between 2003 and 2006.

Rewind even further and you’ll find the Subaru Brumby, which was badged the Subaru Brat in the US. It was sold between 1978 and 1994 and has a cult following, but was only ever a single-cab ute.

What do you think – is a tough new Subaru ute in the brand’s future product portfolio or has Subaru lost the plot?

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