SUBARU TRUCKS OF THE PAST AND FUTURE

Plenty of Japanese manufacturers have built trucks. Some have become very popular, but others have faded into obscurity. Subaru has a surprisingly long and interesting history regarding its own truck models. While they were never the major sellers that offerings like the Toyota Tacoma and Honda Ridgeline became, Subaru's trucks became sought-after classics for those looking for a more unique truck option. So, it is no wonder that some buyers still search for these fun little pickups. Here is a recap of the Subaru trucks from the past, and what may come in the future.

A History Of Subaru Trucks

The Pickups America Forgot

Subaru's truck models were never the major sellers that other Japanese brands were able to produce. But that doesn't mean that Subaru never tried in the small-truck market. Between 1978 and 2006, Subaru brought two separate pickup trucks to the market. Both have become classics that have seen values go up over time. These ranged from the weird and wonderful Brat, to the more practical Baja of the 2000s. Since then, Subaru has yet to bring another pickup to market. That being said, Subaru's pickup truck activity hasn't been stagnant, with them co-opting one of the most extreme pickup trucks ever built, and with rumors that they may be working on an upcoming third pickup truck model.

Past Subaru Trucks

The Subaru Brat

The Subaru Brat was the first-ever pickup truck built and sold by the brand. Originally based on the Leone, the Subaru Brat was a pokey little pickup truck that aimed to combine the practicality and reliability of a Subaru, with the bed of a pickup truck. From this, Subaru accidentally created one of its most iconic vehicles. The Brat was notable for its two rear-facing seats in the bed. These seats, which would not pass compliance today, were often one of the Brat's main selling points. These seats were specifically put in to avoid the Chicken Tax - a 25% tariff on all light-duty and commercial pickup trucks built outside the US. The ability to ride backwards in an open-air pickup truck bed was a large draw for buyers, and the Brat ended up gaining a cult-like status among buyers who didn't want a traditional American pickup truck and wanted the offbeat option that Subaru offered.

Despite the Brat becoming a minor piece in automotive pop culture, it was never a major seller compared to some of its rivals. Subaru's relative obscurity compared to Japanese brands like Toyota made selling the Brat difficult, and because of that, only around 100,000 Brats were ever built, and far fewer populate the streets today. Subaru pulled the plug on the Brat for the US market in 1987, and despite its low sales, the Brat lived on as one of the most notable vehicles ever produced by the brand, and helped give Subaru the much-needed identity needed to help it succeed today.

The Subaru Baja

Subaru's second venture into the pickup truck market came in 2002, with the launch of the Baja. It was based on the Subaru Outback, and because of that, the Baja was far more capable of proper off-roading than the Brat was. Despite both the Baja and Brat being based on existing car models with short beds, the Baja was a much more grown-up vehicle than the Brat was. Gone were the rear-facing seats that the Bar's bed had, and instead, there was a crew cab-style cabin with two rows of seats. Subaru tried to make the Baja a much more mature offering with a wider market appeal compared to the older Brat, and it was easy to see why this could happen. The Outback, upon which the Baja was based, is one of the best-selling wagons and off-roaders of all time and is one of Subaru's signature products. So, it would make sense that a pickup truck aimed at the same buyer base would be successful, right?

Well, the Subaru Baja was arguably much less successful than the Brat was. Over four years of production, Subaru only sold 30,000 Bajas worldwide, which was far less than projected sales. Part of the reason for this this was due to the nonstandard bed size of the Baja, as well as the unibody construction, which was often seen as less durable than the body-on-frame construction of some pickup trucks being sold at the time. Buyers didn't see the Baja as being a competitive enough option compared to larger pickup trucks by Toyota and Nissan, and because of that, the Baja failed in the same way the Brat did. But, also like the Brat, the Baja has since become a cultural phenomenon, and low-mileage offerings are being sold for upwards of $50,000. While not an immediate success, the Baja has found its place as one of Subaru’s most underrated offerings.

The Future Of Subaru Trucks

The Brataroo 9500

The Brataroo 9500 is a special beast. Created by Subaru's performance wing in conjunction with the folks at Hoonigan and Vermont Sports Car, the Brataroo 9500 was the star of the most recent Gymkahna film set in Australia. This film, which showcased Travis Pastrana and the 9500 tear through all of what Australia has to offer, was made special by the fact that this was the first Gymkaha film to be made after the passing of Ken Block. So, a special film needed a special car. The Brataroo 9500 was built using a Brat body shell, with virtually everything else changed. The body was transformed and given all-new front and rear fascias, a massive rear wing, and an oh-so-cool paint job.

The '9500' part of the name comes from the 2.0-liter flat-four engine making an insane 670 hp and 680 lb-ft of torque that revs to, wait for it, 9,500 rpm. Because of those specs, the Brataroo goes and sounds insane, with it screaming everywhere it goes, and easily becoming one of the most extreme Subarus ever built. We can only hope that it teaches people to love the Brat even more than they already do, and helps make a case for some new Subaru pickup trucks.

A New Subaru Baja?

It's been almost 20 years since the Subaru Baja was put out to pasture. And, while there is no official announcement that Subaru will be bringing back the iconic pickup truck, or any truck at all, we can only hope that Subaru might do what we are all hoping for and bring the Baja back again. And if Subaru were to bring the Baja back, it might work better than the last attempt. One reason for this is the rise in small pickup trucks. Offerings like the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz, as well as the upcoming Slate pickup truck, have shown that there is interest in smaller, cheaper utilitarian options rather than the midsize and large pickup trucks we see today.

This could help the Baja, as since 2006, Subaru has grown exponentially, becoming a much larger brand and having a much larger and changed brand image. What also helps is that Subaru's off-road credibility has grown in the past few years, thanks to the Wilderness version of some of their most iconic vehicles, meaning that Subaru may be more capable of marketing a go-anywhere, explorer-type pickup truck that aims to be different than the traditional American and Japanese offerings.

Thanks to renderings, we can see what a new Subaru Baja may look like. Because the original car was based on the Outback, a 2026 version might have the same front and side profile as the new 2026 Outback, just with the rear three-quarter sections removed to create a small bed. Fairly little would have to be changed to make a model like this happen, as the Outback already has an excellent all-wheel drive system that could give an upcoming Baja the extra kick it needs to handle any terrain thrown at it. Again, while there is no word and little rumor about whether a new Subaru pickup truck could be in the works, it would be a welcome sight to see the Baja return to the Subaru lineup, and we're sure that there will be buyers ready at the door to buy one of these iconic pickups.

Sources: Subaru, EPA

2026-01-01T08:39:31Z