Subaru Outback Sales Rebound as Subaru Hits EV Record

The Outback Has A Bounceback

Subaru published its April 2026 sales figures, and the midsize Outback had its best month of the year (so far) with 10,552 units sold. That number represents a slight decrease of 8.3% from last April when it moved 11,501 units, though 2025 was a fairly impressive year for the Outback given it was in the final model year of its sixth-generation.

Even still, the Outback is starting to bounce back after a rocky start to 2026, which has seen the popular model move just 37,626 units through April, down 26.9% compared to 2025 when it sold 51,435 units in the first four months. Critics of the seventh-generation Outback might claim the drop in sales can be attributed to the new model’s styling, which is more aggressive and less wagon-like than ever before. This rebound in April could show the sluggish sales were due to the model year changeover and a lack of inventory, not a lack of demand.

New EVs Hit Dealers

April 2026 also represented Subaru’s best-ever month for electric car sales with 2,053 vehicles sold. The Subaru Solterra moved 1,128 units, an 18.9% gain from the same month in 2025. Subaru has sold 4,169 Solterras so far in 2026, which is an increase of 2.2% from the same period last year, an impressive feat considering the company no longer has the $7,500 federal tax credit to entice customers. That could be partially due to some impressive lease deals.

The Solterra is joined by two brand-new models, the Trailseeker and Uncharted, which debuted this month with 406 and 519 units sold, respectively. These are modest sales numbers, but it’s a start for two fresh nameplates. Both the Trailseeker and Uncharted ride on Toyota platforms, sharing architectures with the bZ Woodland and C-HR.

A Down April

Overall, Subaru’s sales in April dropped to 52,733 units, down from 5.9% from 56,011 units in 2025. Year-to-date, the Japanese automaker has sold 194,683 vehicles, a drop of 12.7% form last year. There are a few bright points in the lineup, like the affordable Forester, which is up 4% year-to-date to 71,989 units, though it did see a drop in 7.7% drop in April to 17,837 units.

The sporty WRX saw a surprise 52.6% increase in April to 1,178 units, though the all-wheel-drive sedan is currently down 16.4% YTD to 4,680 units. The Crosstrek also saw a nice 4.9% bump in April due to an affordable lease, hitting 15,667 units, though sales are still down 7.5% YTD.