Subaru of America, Inc. has officially announced its next generation of the most capable and rugged Forester: the new 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness, marking a new entry into the famous Subaru Wilderness family.

According to certain reports, the stated vehicle arrives on the scene bearing 9.3 inches of ground clearance, which is significantly more than what was put on the offer by its predecessor. The 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness also comes decked up with go-anywhere capability, as well as a refined interior.

More on that would reveal how it is powered by a standard 2.5-liter SUBARU BOXER® engine, X-MODE® Dual Mode System. Alongside that, customers can come expecting Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, all-terrain tires, upgraded suspension, and uprated cooling.

Not just mechanical upgrades, the 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness also boasts the latest version of Subaru’s award-winning EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology, which is packaged in a tablet-style 11.6-inch Subaru Multimedia system with integrated center information display, and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster with navigation and Apple Maps integration.

Talk about the vehicle on a slightly deeper level, we begin from its performance prospects. Now, we already mentioned its 9.3 inches of ground clearance, but what we haven’t mentioned yet is that the suspension technology has been specifically tuned for improved stability and comfort on- and off-road.

Mirroring new, sixth-generation Subaru Forester, the new Forester Wilderness markedly uses a revised 2.5-liter SUBARU BOXER® engine that makes 180 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque available at a lower RPM for responsiveness.

Another detail worth a mention here is rooted in how the vehicle banks upon a revised Lineartronic® Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), with a shorter final drive ratio, to achieve better low-speed off-roadability. This is available next to advanced X-MODE® Dual Mode and Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud modes for added confidence.

To relay the feature’s significance, a revised Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system can tread up a long distance to offer faster center differential lockup and reduced wheelspin when off-roading, and at the same time, incorporate steering angle data for better stability at turn-in and cornering on higher-speed roads.

Moving on, 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness also enjoys larger all-terrain Yokohama Geolandar® tires. These tires are mounted on Wilderness-exclusive 17-inch anthracite wheels for better performance on muddy or gravel roads. Complementing that would be the availability of uprated transmission cooler, which is designed to offer up to 3,500 pounds of towing capacity, whereas on the other hand, there is a rear differential temperature sensor capable of offering more confidence on the trails.

Apart from that, the vehicle also brings to fore improved approach, departure, and breakover angles, as compared to the rest of sixth-generation Forester vehicles. The approach angle has been extended to 23.5 degrees compared to 19 degrees, with its ramp breakover improving up to 21 degrees compared to 19.6 degrees; and the departure angle edging up to 25.5 degrees compared to 24.6 degrees.

Turning our attention towards other features, they include standard roof rails with an 800-pound static load capacity rating (176 pounds dynamic), LED hexagonal fog lights, underbody protection, and expanded anodized copper-finish exterior accents, such as front and rear bumper tow hook covers.

2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness is also equipped with animal-free interior seating surfaces via water-resistant and easily cleanable StarTex® upholstery. Beyond that, we have anodized copper-finish interior accents that are exclusive to the Forester Wilderness trim.

Hold on, we still have a few bits left to unpack, considering we haven’t yet touched upon how 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness has been enhanced with 10% stiffer torsional rigidity, thanks to a new full inner frame construction bearing stronger welding techniques and structural adhesive (from approximately 26.2 feet to 88.5 feet) for better rigidity.

Among other things, the vehicle delivers Subaru 11.6-inch Multimedia Plus system, which features wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ with full-screen display. Not just that, the multimedia system also works as a centralized information display, joined by a combination of meter integration and on-screen controls for audio, climate and vehicle functions.