Crossovers aren’t usually top of mind when it comes to off-roading. For the most part, people think of rugged, truck-based SUVs for hitting the trails. But the folks at Subaru want to change that perception with its Wilderness line.
The Wilderness off-road variants were first introduced in the popular Forester and Outback. Those models got proper upgrades with beefed-up suspension, more ground clearance, and all-terrain tires. This time around, the brand from Gunma has given the same treatment to its smallest crossover, the Crosstrek.
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Like the Forester and Outback, the Crosstrek Wilderness gets longer coil springs and shock absorbers. The long-travel suspension also increases its ground clearance by 13mm, lifting the car to 236mm. For comparison, that’s about as high as the Ford Everest and Isuzu Mu-X. Subaru says this suspension setup helps the Crosstrek Wilderness in articulation and maintain traction even on tough terrain.
Subaru also re-tuned the Crosstrek’s X-Mode terrain management system for the Wilderness variant. It features snow, dirt and deep snow, and mud modes that then adjusts the traction control system to adapt to the situation. It also has Low Speed / Low Ratio Gradient Control that effectively serves as the low-range transmission for climbing over tougher obstacles. It also comes standard with all-terrain tires for good measure.
Subaru toughened up the Crosstrek’s exterior to go with the off-road upgrades. The Wilderness gets chunkier front and rear bumpers, bold hexagonal front grille, larger wheel arch cladding, a real metal front skid plate, unique hex-design LED fog lights and an anti-glare hood decal in matte-black finish. It also gets Wilderness badges on the front doors and rear tailgate, along with a versatile ladder-type roof rack system and 17-inch alloy wheels finished and matte-black.
Inside, the seats are upholstered in a water-resistant material that the company calls Subaru StarTex. It also gets Wilderness logos embossed in the front headrests. There are copper accents throughout the cabin, from its contrast stitches, and the anodized copper-finish trims on the shifter, gauge meter rings and leather-wrapped steering wheel. Lastly, the Crosstrek Wilderness is equipped with all-weather floormats and a removable water-resistant rear cargo tray.
Powering the Crosstrek Wilderness is a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder direct-injection boxer engine. It’s good for 182hp and 239Nm of torque, and that’s the sole powertrain option for this crossover. The lone transmission choice is a continuously variable transmission that Subaru calls Lineartronic.
Interested? Unfortunately, the chances of it coming here are slim to none. It seems that the Wilderness models are exclusive to the North American market. So far, these off-road specials are unavailable in other regions, or even in Subaru's home country of Japan.
