New Tweaks for the Most Off-Road and Rugged Forester
Subaru introduced North America to the upgraded 2026 Forester Wilderness this week. The Wilderness trim level is a sub-brand of Subaru designed for off-roading and adventure. It was first introduced on the Outback in 2021 and was expanded to include the Forester in 2022 and the Crosstrek in 2024, Subaru’s top three brands in sales.
Clean Fleet Report was invited to look but not drive the 2026 Forester Wilderness. We get behind the wheel sometime later in 2025. Until then, here is what we know.
2026 Forester Wilderness
The 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness was designed to actually go out and find some wilderness. Aaron Cole, product communications manager at Subaru, told us: “the Forester Wilderness is our most capable, trail-ready and rugged Forester we have ever made. This fits with the Wilderness MO of taking what is already good and making it better.”
Hitting the mud and trails will be done with a 2.5-Liter boxer engine producing 180 horsepower and 178 foot-pounds of torque running on 87 octane. This power gets to all four wheels through a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive that features a Wilderness exclusive of the latest generation of the dual-function X-Mode. With dual mode and dual function the driver can select Snow and Dirt mode, Deep Snow and Mud mode (under 25 mph); Deep Snow and Mud mode (above 25 mph); and low speed and low-ratio gradient control that automatically detects vehicle travel on steep gradients. Hill Descent Control is standard.
Still not convinced the Forester Wilderness can handle what you have in mind? The body has been raised to 9.3-inches (versus the 8.7-inches of the Forester Hybrid and 9.2 on last year’s Wilderness package) and the angle of approach and departure and ramp breakover are all higher. The body has a 10-percent stiffer torsional rigidity due to a new inner frame that uses stronger welding techniques and structural adhesives.
The Yokohama Geolander all-terrain 235/60/17 tires are ready to take a beating. The suspension has been beefed-up and lifted, gearing revised with a heavy-duty rear differential that contains a temperature sensor, and an uprated transmission cooler. The body gets some macho touches—upgraded roof rails that can hold 800-pounds when parked and 176 pounds when driving, underbody protection, front and rear tow hooks, LED hexagonal fog lights and added fender and body protection.
Rugged Interior
The 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness is equipped with animal-free StarTex, a synthetic upholstery that is water-resistant and cleanable. The thin A-pillars, high seating position and the tall windows provide excellent forward and side visibility. The anodized copper-finish interior accents are exclusive to the Wilderness trim.
The 12.3-inch configurable digital gauge cluster serves as a vehicle information display, and the tablet-style 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen houses the multimedia system for navigation, AM/FM HD and SiriusXM radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. USB ports and wireless phone charging are standard.
Safety and Convenience
The Forester comes with active and passive advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) that are all part of the EyeSight system. Safety technology includes multiple airbags, advanced adaptive cruise control, automatic pre-collision braking and throttle management, emergency stop assist and lane departure warning. In the case of an accident or other emergency, the Starlink Connected Services feature will place a call to emergency services.
Safety features also include blind spot monitoring with lane change assist, a 360-degree camera, and Safety Exit Alert that notifies occupants, before exiting the vehicle, of obstacles and pedestrians with an audible and visual warning.
Additional convenience features include automatic climate control, rear vision camera, push button start/stop, remote keyless entry, electric power steering, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and Bluetooth control switches, exterior power mirrors, tire pressure monitoring system, and 4-wheel disc anti-lock brakes.
Pricing and Availability
The 2026 Forester Wilderness arrives at North American Subaru dealers nationwide in the fall of 2025. Pricing for 2026 will be announced closer to the introduction date, but 2025 Forester Wilderness models started at $34,920 plus destination and delivery charges.
When Subaru hands the keys to the 2026 Forester Wilderness to us, we will report on its drivability and upgraded off-road capability. They did allowe us to take some videos as proof points of the capability of the upgrades. Until then, make sure to opt-in to the Clean Fleet Report newsletter (top right of page) to be notified of all new stories and vehicle reviews.
Story by John Faulkner. Photos by John Faulkner and Subaru.
