Built from the new, sixth-generation, platform, the 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness gets a bit more ground clearance, and a wider all-terrain tire.

Subaru revealed the 2026 Forester Wilderness at the 2025 Chicago Auto Show, right after showing us the new Forester Hybrid. It starts with the new for 2025, sixth-generation platform for this small, two-row crossover SUV.

Just a few months ago, Subaru revealed the 2025 Forester Wilderness. But that version still ran on the outgoing, fifth-generation platform. That makes the Wilderness a year behind the standard Forester in terms of adopting the latest platform.

Briefly, the 2025 Forester saw a stiffened platform, updated styling, and modern technology inside. But the powertrain largely carried on as before, with a 2.5-liter flat-four engine churning out 180 horsepower and 178 lb.-ft of torque. It connects to a CVT (continuously variable transmission) and then sends power to, of course, all four wheels.

I reviewed the new Forester last fall and found it stayed true to its very practical, no-nonsense roots. Yet it looked more fashionable and provided easy to use tech.

New Wilderness

Mechanically speaking, the new Forester Wilderness is much like the old one. And, generally speaking, also like the Outback and Crosstrek Wilderness models. It rolls on 17-inch wheels with Yokohama Geolander, all-terrain tires mounted. New for 2026, those tires measure 10 mm (0.4-in) wider than before.

You also get a different suspension and suspension tune. That makes it more off-road friendly generally but also raises the vehicle to 9.3-inches of ground clearance, up a tenth from 2025.

That also does the lion share of improving approach, breakover, and departure angle clearances over the standard Forester. On the Wilderness, you work with 23.5/21/25.5 degrees of approach/breakover/departure, standard Forester is 19/19.6/24.6 degrees respectively. If you stretch those limits a bit, Subaru says the Wilderness does have underbody protection.

And, like all Wilderness models, you get hulky roof rails on top. Subaru says you can load up to 800 pounds when the Forester is at rest. It will handle 176 pounds when on the go. It also adds to the off-road styling of the vehicle, as do LED hexagonal fog lights and various copper accents sprinkled throughout.

Powertrain

Just like the standard Forester, the Wilderness uses a 2.5-liter flat-four engine to muscle around the world. It makes 180 horsepower and 178 lb.-ft of torque at their respective peaks, same as the standard Forester. And it still ties to a CVT. But the Wilderness makes use of a shorter final drive ratio to increase engine speed verses vehicle speed, improve torque multiplication, and provide more power and torque at lower, off-road speeds.

You also get a dual-mode X-mode system, which calibrates the CVT for even shorter ratios when passing through mud, or deep snow, or the like. That system also asks traction control to allow a bit more slip before intervening. Furthermore, Subaru claims faster center differential lock-up for less wheelspin when off-roading.

Still not done with the CVT, Subaru installed a different transmission cooler to allow the Wilderness to tow up to 3500 lbs. And, of course, this beefed up tranny sends power to all-four-wheels.

Inside

New for the Forester Wilderness, Subaru will offer a fully digital, 12.3-inch instrument cluster as an option, which is lovely. That’s in addition to the standard 11.6-inch portrait mounted center display. While using those screens, you sit on seats upholstered in a material called StarTex, which cleans up easily. Of course, Subaru added plenty of wilderness themed accents in the interior and a few easter eggs, too.  

Conclusion

Expect to see the 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness to arrive at dealers sometime this fall. And it will fall in the upper half of Forester line-up. Subaru has not yet announced pricing, but I expect it to not drift too far away from the 2025 model’s $36,415 price, perhaps $37,500 or so.

These are, after all, incremental improvements. But when combined with the stiffer structure of the sixth-generation platform and the generally better noise vibration and harshness qualities that come with it, this could be a pleasant cruiser on and off the road.