Subaru adds a Wilderness model to its all-new 2026 Outback. The trim level gets its own tires, wheels, and electronic suspension. Prices start at $46,995. Out now. Subaru was the first of the crossover utility creations to offer a mild off-road package when it launched the first Outback Wilderness in 2021. Honda followed with a Trailsport on its Passport, Pilot, and Ridgeline. The Ford Bronco Sport Badlands came out around the same time, then the Hyundai XRT Santa Cruz and Ioniq 5, and the Nissan Rock Creek Rogue and CX-5 Meridian. Suburban Crawl The idea with all of them was simple: take a fairly unremarkable crossover utility vehicle that you probably wouldn’t want to drive across more than a dirt parking lot and make it more off-road-ready. Most of them get A/T all-terrain tires so you won’t get stranded the first time your tire meets a sharp rock. Sometimes there’s more ride height, usually there’s loud and tacky body cladding “for the rocks,” manufacturers say. But in all cases you can go on a real adventure that you wouldn’t want to undertake with just the stock CUV on stock tires. Is that profile too upright and SUV-like? These packages are not the same as, say, the Rubicon Wrangler or the Toyota TRD PRO 4Runner. You wouldn’t want to conquer the Rubicon in a Subaru Wilderness package. But they expand what’s possible in an otherwise utilitarian transport vehicle. Your whole world would expand by a considerable amount if you checked the Wilderness box when ordering your Outback. Value Added The regular Outback was new last year, the seventh-generation of the niche favorite among dog owners, ski lift operators, and semi-rural lumberjacks. The new model got all-new, boxy, almost truck-like exterior styling, greater interior volume and cargo capacity, a new infotainment display and digital instrument cluster, with climate controls that have actual hard-button and knob controls. The center console cupholders even have enough room for 32-ounce water bottles. To all that, Subaru now adds a new Wilderness package with several big improvements, each well worth the extra dough. Wilderness trim gets the bigger engine. While the standard Outback gets a 2.5-liter flat-four making 180 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque, the Wilderness (along with the Limited XT and Touring XT) comes with a 2.4-liter turbo making 260 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque. And while it’s still mated to Lineartronic CVT, it at last tries to be interesting by adding an eight-speed manual shift mode. Into the Deep(ish) Wilderness lets you go further into the wilds with increased ground clearance—up to 9.5 inches compared to the 8.7 inches on other Outback trim levels. There are also unique 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with matte black finish wrapped in A/T Bridgestone Dueler tires. Subaru’s X-MODE Dual Mode System comes standard on Wilderness, as does Hill Descent Control. (In case you forgot, the X-MODE Dual Mode System offers two tailored settings, Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud, activated on the dash, that work with Subaru’s all-wheel drive “to optimize performance in low-traction environments by adjusting throttle, transmission, and torque distribution for maximum grip.”) Handles well on- and off-road. But the most impressive feature on the Wilderness trim is a new set of electronically controlled dampers. Subaru barely mentions this setup and yet it is the vehicle’s best feature. Based on what Subaru product planners called the brand’s Skyhook concept for suspension, the electronics help keep the vehicle and body level over any terrain. After driving a regular Outback off-road a few months ago without the electronically controlled dampers, it's easy to feel the difference, and well worth it on- or off-road. And speaking of on-road, the Bridgestone A/Ts feel setup more for on-road driving on pavement, with treads that don’t make noise and hold on well through higher-speed paved corners, which is fine considering almost all Outbacks will spend their lives on pavement. How Did It Drive? The CVT didn’t seem so bad this time. It seemed to have better control of the revs, not winding out as quickly to high rpms whenever you stepped on the gas, as if it was tuned to take advantage of the increased torque and shorter final drive of the Wilderness. The rig drove really well on all the steep, slippery stuff Subaru lead us on. Tires looked and felt like street treads, as we said, even though they read “A/T” on the sidewalls, so they were quiet on the roads and offered good grip on paved corners. The tread suggested there might be increased slipperiness in the mud, but that wasn’t the case on the mud we encountered. They gripped well, even on the steeper uphill mud trails. The electronic suspension was surprisingly good. It reduced body roll without eliminating it so you still got enough feedback in general while controlling the body as you wound through corners. Bravo, Subaru. Prices start at $46,995 including destination, and and they’re available at your dealer now.
Liked by Claire Fortin, Gabriel Campbell
Liked by Claire Fortin, Gabriel Campbell
Liked by Claire Fortin, Gabriel Campbell
