The 2024 Chicago Auto Show saw the debut of the updated and incredibly capable Subaru Forester Wilderness. The Wilderness lineup has proven to be a popular choice for adventurers, no matter if they’re heading to town or into the backcountry. With plenty of capability, Subaru’s trusted reliability, plus plenty of adventure-focused features, it’s really just a choice of size between the Crosstrek, the Outback, or the Forester. Towards the end of 2025, the 2026 Forester Wilderness will be available, and the list of updates makes it seem like the most capable model in the Wilderness lineup so far.
Subaru truly checked all of the boxes when updating the already capable Forester Wilderness. Starting from the bottom up, you’ll find it fitted with larger all-terrain Yokohama Geolandar tires. While Subaru hasn’t specifically said what size, we can assume they’ll be close to 30 inches, given the current offerings. The addition of longer coil springs and shocks bumps the Forester Wilderness’ ground clearance up to 9.3 inches. With increased clearance comes improved trail geometry, the updated Forester boasts an approach angle of 23.5 degrees, a breakover of 21 degrees, and a departure angle of 25.5
While these upgrades provide plenty of capability, Subaru didn’t stop there. The Lineartronic® Continuously Variable Transmission has been updated with a shorter final drive ratio. This provides better low-speed while off-road. And of course, the 2026 Forester features advanced X-MODE® with Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud modes for added confidence when you encounter rough terrain. The Subaru Global Platform underpins the new Forester Wilderness and features 10% stiffer torsional rigidity for improved performance, a smoother ride, and a quieter cabin.
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The improvements to the 2026 model year aren’t exclusively on the exterior of the Forester Wilderness. The latest version of the Subaru’s award-winning EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology that provides lane departure, pre-collision braking, and adaptive cruise control. A tablet-style 11.6-inch dislay handles multimedia duties, while an available 12.3-inch digital cluster provides navigation and Apple Maps integration.
If all of these features aren’t enough, you’ll also find water-resistant StarTex® upholstery, LED fog lights, underbody protection, anodized copper exterior accents, and roof rails rated to 800 pounds.
With the obvious success of the Wilderness lineup, it’s great to see Subaru continuing to innovate and improve their models. Without a doubt, the 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness will be a popular choice for adventurers looking to seat up to five and take advantage of excellent on-road performance and off-road capability that will keep you exploring in the backcountry with confidence. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but you can expect the 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness at dealerships later this year.
