AMENIA, N.Y. — Following the March debut of the Wilderness version of the Outback, Subaru's rugged trim line is expanding to its top-selling model, the Forester.
Standing 0.7 inch wider and 1.4 inches taller than a standard Forester and with a half-inch more of ground clearance, the five-seat 2022 Forester Wilderness compact crossover is equipped with a number of mechanical and cosmetic features for customers looking to conquer the outdoors.
Other Wilderness-themed equipment includes exclusive matte black wheels with Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tires, water-repellent StarTex seats and a roof rack that can support up to 800 pounds while parked (compared with the standard Forester's 700 pounds), meaning it can support larger rooftop tents.
Like other Foresters, the all-wheel-drive Wilderness comes with a four-cylinder, 2.5-liter boxer engine rated at 182 hp and 176 pound-feet of torque, paired with the CVT. It can tow up to 3,000 pounds and has EPA-estimated fuel economy of 25 mpg city/28 mpg highway/26 mpg combined, compared with the standard Forester's 26/33/29.
The Wilderness — the Forester's sixth trim line — is two slots below the top Touring model and starts at $33,945, including shipping, a $7,625 premium over the base 2022 Forester. A $1,850 option package adds an 8-inch multimedia system with navigation, Harman Kardon speakers and a power rear gate.
It begins arriving at dealerships in October.
In the first half of this year, Subaru sold 95,965 Foresters in the U.S., a 12 percent improvement over the same period in pandemic-stricken 2020.
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