Cupra Ateca vs Subaru Outback
What's the difference?

Cupra Ateca

—

2025 price

View pricing & specs

Subaru Outback

$48,990 - $62,690

2026 price

View pricing & specs

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Summary

2025 Cupra Ateca

2026 Subaru Outback

By Laura Berry

By Marcus Craft

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 2.0L

Turbo 4, 2.4L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

7.1L/100km (combined)

9.7L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

The 'mysterious' brand
Volkswagen quality and engineering
Lower price into the Ateca model

Maintains Outback spirit
All-around drivability
Off-road capability

Dislikes

Safety tech could be more cutting edge
Fuel economy on the high side
No head-up display

Gold edging
Needs better all-terrain tyres
More off-road goodies would add to the appeal

2025 Cupra Ateca Summary

Not many people even know what a Cupra Ateca V is… and this is the second best thing about this small SUV. The first best thing is that Cupra is owned by Volkswagen.

So, this means you can have your mysterious SUV not many other people drive while knowing it’s underpinned by one of the largest car manufacturers in the world which makes cars millions of people drive and one which also has a reputation for high quality vehicles.

The big news here is the Ateca model range has a new and lower entry fee with the arrival of this V grade. See, until now the only Ateca Australians could buy is the high-performance VZx which while really sporty also came with a pretty big price tag.

So, how much is the Ateca V and what do you get for the money? We found this out at the Australian launch along with how practical and safe it is and what it’s like to drive.

View full pricing & specs

2026 Subaru Outback Summary

The Subaru Outback holds a special place in the hearts of adventurers everywhere. It’s long been regarded by its fans as a genuine mix of decent on-road manners, family-friendly practicality and sound off-road capability. Just right for light-duty off-roading.

Now, Subaru claims, it has made the Outback even better and a new off-road-focussed variant called the all-wheel-drive Wilderness now sits near the top of the line-up.

The Wilderness is equipped with a 2.4-litre turbo-petrol, four-cylinder, horizontally-opposed 'boxer' engine, 240mm of ground clearance, improved approach/departure angles and electronically controlled dampers.

But is this new Outback all it’s cracked up to be? Read on.

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Deep dive comparison

2025 Cupra Ateca 2026 Subaru Outback

Verdict

The Cupra Ateca V is a much needed more affordable way into this small SUV while still offering a high-end feeling with plenty of standard features. Yes, the V isn't as high-powered as the VZx but it's still great to drive in the city and on the open road. Big on the inside and small on the outside the Cupra Ateca can perform urban and (small) family duties well.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

Verdict

If you’re a Subaru fan chances are the Wilderness will float your boat. It’s an appealing mix of on-road refinement and more than satisfactory capability on bush tracks.

The Wilderness engine-and-CVT combination helps to make this Subaru well refined and highly responsive on-road and it benefits from punchier low-rev output in off-road scenarios.

Subaru has made a habit of producing practical vehicles and this new addition to the upgraded Outback line-up doesn’t disappoint.

Does anyone need a Wilderness version of the Outback? Probably not. Will anyone want a Wilderness edition Outback? I reckon a lot of Outback fans would fall over themselves to get their hands on one of these.

Cupra Ateca vs Subaru Outback What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Cupra Ateca vs Subaru Outback
What's the difference?