The first time you drive into the Australian Outback, it’s hard to grasp the scale of it. The road stretches endlessly ahead. The landscape turns red and rugged. Towns become few and far between.

Alice Springs, Australia (CNN) — The Australian outback is one of the wildest places on Earth. A vast void of deserts and semi-arid wilderness, it stretches across about 80% of the country’s interior ...

The Outback fills some 70 percent of the massive island continent of Australia, roughly the size of the U.S. It’s scantly populated, except for the more than 150 species of venomous snakes.

The new, seventh-generation Subaru Outback due in 2026 will be the first model from the Japanese brand in Australia to be available in a more rugged flagship version from the new Wilderness sub-brand.