New Subaru Brumby is ‘never a no’: Local boss says demand will dictate whether Subaru brings back its cult-classic baby ute

Another breadcrumb has been added to the trail of rumours that the Subaru Brumby could make a return.

An icon of the brand both here and overseas (where it was usually called the Brat - Ronald Reagan even had one!), the Subaru Brumby ute has been off the market for three decades.

But after word of the ute’s return via cooperation with Toyota came to CarsGuide from sources, a local executive has said the conversation around Brumby is indeed ongoing at HQ.

Subaru Australia’s Managing Director Scott Lawrence told CarsGuide the little ute is not off the cards.

“Look, believe it or not, actually it is a conversation point with Subaru Corp,” Lawrence said.

“We are always looking at what models work in the Australian market and what Australian consumers want. It's never a no. It's never a no.”

While not ruling out the return of the Brumby in the long-term, Lawrence said the model won’t pop up suddenly any time soon.

“At this point, there are no plans for Subaru in their short-term, or mid-term.”

As reported by CarsGuide in June this year, it’s expected Subaru and Toyota’s shared platforms and development will yield a small electric ute for Subaru, similar to the Toyota EPU ute concept shown in 2023.

The brands have already worked together on the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ twins, the bZ4X and Solterra electric mid-size SUVs and recently the C-HR+ and Uncharted electric small SUVs.

It’ll be a far cry from the original Brumby, which was a diminutive all-wheel-drive ute with a small flat-four petrol engine and two doors.

While details are of course scarce for now, Scott Lawrence hinted the new cars to hit Australian roads from the brand won’t depart from the brand’s core philosophy of practicality and capability when it comes to outdoor adventure.

“We need to, more than ever, be Subaru. That's crucial for us.”