2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness revealed

The latest-generation Subaru Forester has received the more adventurous Wilderness treatment, adding tougher looks and more rugged off-road equipment to mark the return of the “most capable” version of the Japanese brand’s top-selling SUV.

Less than a month after the uprated Forester was leaked in an online video, Subaru of America has officially unveiled its news Wilderness model lineup at the 2025 Chicago Auto Show – alongside the new Australia-bound Forester Hybrid.

Based on the sixth-generation mid-sized SUV, the Forester Wilderness promises to pair “go-anywhere capability” with a “refined interior and improved on- and off-road driving performance” when it launches in the US in the third quarter of 2025.

No Subaru Wilderness model has ever been sold in Australia, though the Japanese brand’s local arm has left the door open for a potential release Down Under.

“We remain very interested in Wilderness editions for our market and are working closely with Subaru Corporation on future opportunities for Australia,” a Subaru Australia spokesperson told CarExpert.

“We will be sure to keep you updated on any further developments when available.”

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Mechanical tweaks for the Forester Wilderness include longer coil springs and shock absorbers, which have been tuned for “improved stability and comfort on- and off-road” and provide a maximum 9.3 inches (236mm) of ground clearance – up from the standard Forester’s 220mm measurement.

The SUV’s continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) has been revised with a shorter final drive ratio for improved low-speed off-roading, which is supported by Subaru’s X-Mode Dual Mode with Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud modes. At the back is also a rear differential temperature sensor.

Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system remains albeit in a slightly tweaked form, claimed to offer “faster centre differential lockup and reduced wheelspin when off-roading”. Steering angle data has also been incorporated for “better stability at turn-in and cornering on higher-speed roads”.

As for off-road focused gear, the Forester Wilderness is fitted with 17-inch Wilderness-exclusive black alloy wheels wrapped in large all-terrain Yokohama Geolandar tyres.

Approach, departure, and breakover angles have also been improved over the standard Forester. Approach angle has been increased to 23.5 from 19 degrees, departure angle is up from 24.6 to 25.5 degrees, and breakover angle rises from 19.6 to 21 degrees.

Subaru has also fitted an uprated transmission cooler, allowing the Forester Wilderness to achieve a towing capacity of 3500 pounds (1587kg). Additionally, Subaru says the Global Platform underpinning the Forester has been enhanced with “10 per cent stiffer torsional rigidity” thanks to a tweaked design and improved manufacturing techniques.

Powering it all is Subaru’s standard 2.5-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated boxer engine, which produces 136kW of power and 239Nm of torque.

Physical changes include standard roof rails with an 800-pound (362kg) static load capacity (176-pound or 80kg dynamic), hexagonal LED fog lights, underbody protection, and anodised copper-finish exterior accents.

Inside are more copper-finish elements, as well as water-resistant upholstery. As with the standard Forester there’s an 11.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster – the latter of which has been programmed with Wilderness-exclusive graphics.

Subaru says full US pricing and specifications will be announced closer to the model’s market launch.

The Wilderness range began in the US in 2022 with the Subaru Outback, which brought changes including a 20mm suspension lift for a ground clearance of 240mm, 17-inch alloy wheels, extensive black cladding with integrated tow hooks, an uprated 320kg roof rack, and a shorter final drive ratio.

It was later joined by the fifth-generation Forester and Crosstrek Wilderness in 2022 and 2023, respectively, the latter of which was most recently updated, in 2024.

MORE: 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness – More rugged SUV leakedMORE: 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness – Rugged SUV on local wish listMORE: 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid revealed and locked in for AustraliaMORE: Everything Subaru Forester