2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness Adds Rugged Side to Latest Forester
Although the Forester was completely redesigned for the 2025 model year, Subaru decided to carry over the North American-exclusive Wilderness model unchanged. Now, it’s time to fix that.
Meet the new 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness, which debuted today at the Chicago Auto Show and will go on sale this fall sporting a number of cosmetic revisions along with upgraded hardware.
- Also: 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid Gets e-Boxer Tech With 194 Horsepower
- Also: 2025 Subaru Forester: Continuity Through Change
The Forester Wilderness keep that black hood decal and heavy body cladding for a more aggressive and more muscular look. There are multiple copper accents and bumpers than be can partially detached (making them easy to replace if need be). All-terrain Yokohama Geolander tires are mounted on unique 17-inch alloy wheels in anthracite finish and provide extra traction off the beaten path.
Naturally, Subaru’s symmetrical, full-time AWD system is enhanced with X-Mode, enabling quicker locking of the centre differential and improving control on inclines and slippery terrain.
With approach and departure angles of 23.5 degrees and 21 degrees, respectively, the 2026 Forester Wilderness can now be considered the most off-road-capable unibody compact SUV on the market. It can also tow up to 3,500 lbs. By the way, motivation comes from a 2.5-litre flat-four engine producing 180 horsepower, just like every other Forester model except for the new Forester Hybrid with e-Boxer technology.
If you want some alternatives, consider the Ford Bronco Sport Badlands, GMC Terrain AT4, Hyundai Tucson XRT, Jeep Compass Trailhawk, Mazda CX-50 Meridian, Nissan Rogue Rock Creek and Toyota RAV4 Trail.
Canadian pricing for the 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness will be announced closer to launch.