When Subaru debuted its next-generation 2024 Forester, there was one trim missing: the popular Wilderness. A 2025 Forester Wilderness was still available, but only on the outgoing platform and with limited production. Meet the 2026 model and keep the off-road vibe in Subaru’s best-selling compact SUV while adding a long list of changes. In principle, this isn’t a huge departure from the previous Wilderness flavor, and it doesn’t have to be. This latest update simply improves the off-road capabilities and adds more refinement and durability inside.
We spent time with the new 2026 Forester Wilderness, drove along Oregon’s beautiful Columbia River Gorge on long stretches of highway and, most importantly, took the rugged family wagon off-road.
- Basic trim motor
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2.5L H-4 ICE
- Basic trim transmission
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Lineartronic CVT with 8 gears
- Basic trim drivetrain
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Four-wheel drive
- Basic trim horsepower
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180 hp @5800 rpm
- Basic trim torque
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178 lb.-ft. @ 3700 rpm
- Fuel consumption basic trim (city/highway/combined)
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27/33/29 mpg
- Battery type basic trim
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Lead-acid battery
- To make
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Subaru
- Model
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Crosstrek
What’s news for 2026
From the start, the Forester’s new Subaru Global Platform adds improved stiffness, safety and ride quality, along with improvements in welding. It’s the more mundane tweaks and changes that come with a new architecture, and the new fifth-generation Forester takes full advantage of them. But Wilderness chooses it for those who take the unbeaten path, which Subaru says is a good thing, as most Forester Wilderness customers compare off-road indexes with their rivals.
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Frankly, that doesn’t surprise us considering the lack of real rivals like the RAV4 Woodland, CR-V TrailSport, Nissan villain Rock Creek, and Hyundai Tucson XRT. Ford is the biggest competitor – first with the current Bronco Sport Badlands, and now with the new 2026 Bronco Sport with Sasquatch package. The latter of the two is by far the closest competitor, but it will cost you: about $3,000 more for the Sasquatch package, bringing the total to about $44,000 for Bronco Sport. Compare that to the $38,000 price of the Forester Wilderness.
The off-road upgrades
Ground clearance increases to 9.3 inches compared to 9.2 inches in the outgoing model. Combined with improved approach/transition/departure angles and wider 235mm all-terrain tires on 17-inch black matte wheels, this not-so-compact compact SUV builds on what was already, and arguably the most capable, adventure SUV on the market when it was first launched in 2022. The off-road spare tire is a nice bonus.
Subaru revised the all-wheel drive system with a quicker center differential lock and reduced wheelspin, making the Wilderness feel more planted and confident on loose surfaces. The CVT now gets a shorter final drive ratio for better off-road control at low speeds, which proved to provide a smoother and more confident crawl on the steep, uneven trails we experienced.
Hill Descent Assist is not new and works just as before; it is activated automatically when X-MODE is activated. The Wilderness’s dual-function As far as we’re concerned, Subaru should just keep it a hard switch or button, like it used to be.
A new rear differential temperature sensor provides peace of mind on longer trail runs, letting you push without worrying about overheating. The upgraded transmission cooler increases towing capacity to 3,500 pounds (the most ever for a Forester).
Interior, cargo and exterior design upgrades for 2026
The interior of the 2024-2026 Forester has been redesigned and those comfort and tech upgrades carry over to this 2026 Forester Wilderness. For the first time, the Forester Wilderness offers a digital gauge cluster for a nice touch of technology. Measuring 12.3 inches, it comes standard on the very first Forester Hybrid, and while it’s an option with Wilderness, it does add some fancy Wilderness-specific graphics to the splash screen. For an extra $2,200, the option package offers some technology with an 11-speaker Harmon Kardon system and sub, TomTom navigation and a power liftgate.
Good news for cup holders and fans Moms with giant Stanley cups: The cup holders are now larger, nestled in a new center console layout with even more space, a larger cargo box and a longer armrest. The routing and installation of the rear seat belts have been improved for the comfort and safety of rear passengers.
Durability inside and more cargo space
If there’s one thing Subaru does well and better than the competition, aside from all-wheel drive, it’s all the clever little features to protect the interior. Inside the 2026 model, the hinge points are more water resistant than before and offer more comfort better protection against water and melting snow on camping gear and snowboards. The entire cabin is virtually water-resistant thanks to the StarTex upholstery with copper stitching. Wilderness logos are found throughout the cabin, including the headrests.
All-Weather package comes standard
Overall, you can expect more cargo and functionality in this 2026 Forester Wilderness, along with the standard all-weather floor mats and cargo trays for added durability and protection. A great addition, whether every Forester Wilderness customer needs it or not, is the standard All Weather package with heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors and windshield wiper defroster.
There’s a long list of other standard interior features. Some notable ones include EyeSight Driver Assist (with a long list of native features including blind spot monitoring, emergency lane assist, automatic emergency steering and more); wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support; Bluetooth hands-free phone and audio streaming.
Exterior design
The quick giveaway if you’re looking at one Subaru Wilderness model (Outback, Forester or Crosstrek) are all those anodized copper accents scattered throughout, from the Wilderness-specific hexagonal grille to the raised ladder-type roof rails up top with an impressive 800-pound static load capacity with Forester Wilderness.
Other exterior specs include the Wilderness-specific bumper, dual front and rear tow points, and redesigned side rocker guards and exclusive rear bumper. The hexagonal LED lighting on the front is a distinctive design element.
TopSpeed’s opinion
The newest Forester Wilderness is not radically different. That’s not necessary. It builds on an already exceptional compact off-road SUV with proven all-wheel drive, a bulletproof 2.5-litre engine and all the cool extras families expect from a rugged adventure machine… that far surpasses the competition.
That said, the new platform introduced with the 2024 redesign that adds extra stiffness, the increase in towing capacity, the improved CVT and other performance upgrades simply increases all the features that matter. Inside, Subaru continued with added durability and more technology, including the
It’s here, far from the sidewalks and Wi-Fi signals, that the Wildernis earns its name: confident, quiet and supremely capable. With every rocky incline and muddy descent, it reminded us why this covering exists: not just to look tough, but to thrive when the road disappears.
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