Subaru is apparently considering a new Baja, according to a Subaru exec in Australia. A car-based pickup, or ute in Aussie parlance, is a massively popular body style Down Under. With a legacy (no pun intended) dating back to the 1978 BRAT, Subaru is one of the few companies well-positioned to offer such a vehicle.
The revelation comes from Carsales, who spoke with Subaru Australia General Manager Scott Lawrence at the recent local launch of the 2026 Outback. “There have been discussions of a ute … ute is a conversation and I can’t share much now,” said Lawrence. The site describes the vehicle as a dual-cab ute with doors and a bed, which conjures images of a the 2002-06 Baja.
As it happens, the Baja was a Subaru of North America concoction and never sold in Australia. Its primary markets were the US and Canada, although some were sold in South America as well.
What did sell in Australia was the original BRAT, or Brumby as it was named locally. However, the BRAT had only two doors and a single row of seats, so the vehicle Lawrence is hinting at is more of a Baja. Of course, they could still name it Brumby, which is a type of Australian horse. Neither the BRAT nor the Baja was sold in Japan.
The natural enemy for a car like the Baja would be the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz. While the former is a sales success, the latter has been largely a flop and will end production earlier than the scheduled run, likely by the end of 2026.
Subaru may not have to worry about volume sales as much though, as it is a much smaller company, and can capitalize on its solid reputation with the hiking and camping set. The Wilderness variants on most vehicles are selling well, and there seems to be no shortage of customers looking for outdoorsy adventure rigs.
The article points out that Subaru could partner with Toyota and base the Baja on the Hilux, but that would likely preclude it from coming to America. A Hilux-based Baja would also be competing in a field dominated by other small body-on-frame pickups, instead of occupying its own niche. And unless it’s built in the US, it will face the same Chicken Tax issues as the BRAT.
The original Baja is almost 25 years old. Next year it’ll be eligible for historic plates in most states and for collector car insurance as well. The time could be ripe for a Baja revival, and if it happens we just hope it’s painted in yellow.
