A solid 9.2 inches of ground clearance, a skidplate, and off-road tires.
We saw our first leaked images earlier this week of the Subaru Forester Wilderness Edition. It promised a rugged crossover. It’s now officially available. The company released photos and details today of the Forester. It boasts improved off-road performance and more style. There’s also a lot more to look forward too in the cabin.
Forester Wilderness Edition is a premium model that features trim-specific visual cues which give it a unique look. The front fascia features a bolder hexagonal grille. There’s also a front skid plate and hexagonal LED fog lamps. Even the hood has an anti-glare finish.
The Forester Wilderness is much more than a mere sight. The Forester Wilderness has an exclusive suspension that provides the crossover 9.2 inches of ground clearance. This is a little more than the 8.7 inches clearance of the standard Forester, but it’s still a lot better than the Outback Wilderness (9.6 inch). This new height is due to longer coil springs and shock absorbers. Special tuning was also used to make the Forester an excellent on-road performer.
For better off-road traction, a set of 17-inch alloy rims in matte black are wrapped in Yokohama Geolandar all terrain tires. For those times when things get tough, there is a full-size spare tire under the cargo area. The ladder-type rack on the roof can hold up to 220 lbs (100 kg) while on the move or 800 lbs (363 kilograms) when it is parked. Subaru claims that the increased roof tent capacity makes it possible to make larger roof tents.
The Forester Wilderness trim uses the 2.5-liter Boxer engine, which produces 182 horsepower (136kilowatts) as well as 176 poundfeet (239newton-meters). It is paired with a continuously variable transmission and all wheel drive. Although the Wilderness isn’t the most efficient, Subaru claims that the Forester can tow 3,000 pounds and return 33 mpg depending on the spec.
Although the cabin is a faithful representation of the Forester model, the Wilderness model has water-resistant StarTex seats with embossed graphics. The only option is the upgraded 8.0-inch touchscreen that includes Subaru Starlink, navigation, Harmon Kardon premium audio, and a power reartailgate.
The Subaru Forester Wilderness Edition is priced at $33,945 in America (including $1125 in destination fees), making it the most expensive model in the range. The base 2022 Forester is $26,320. Premiums are $29,320. Sport costs $30,890. Limited and Touring models cost $33,000 and $36,420, respectively.
Price |
|
Forester |
$26,320 |
Forester Premium |
$29,320 |
Forester Sport |
$30,890 |
Forester Wilderness |
$33,945 |
Forester Limited |
$33,000 |
Forester Touring |
$36,420 |