Those of us in the Subaruverse could see this one coming from a long way off. With the runaway sales success of the Outback Wilderness and Forester Wilderness models, it was only a matter of time before Subaru’s smallest adventure-mobile got the Wilderness treatment. The formula remains the same (why change it?)—beefier lifted suspension, gnarlier tires, some aggressive body cladding, and a fancy traction control system build out the package (and print the money).
Technical specs are as follows:
- 9.3 inches of ground clearance (almost as much as my Defender!)
- Upgraded long-travel dampers, springs, and suspension components
- Standard X-MODE terrain response system
- Yokohama Geolandar A/T tires (raised white lettering facing out for a bit of extra style)
- 20 degrees of approach angle, 33 degrees of departure angle, 31 degrees of break-over angle
- CVT with revised differential gear ratio
- Boosted towing capacity to 3500 pounds
- Metal front skid plate
- Exclusive styling features, including revised bumpers, LED fog lights, and fender flares
The striking Geyser Blue colorway is particular to Wilderness models, and I’m not sure why you’d get it in any other hue. The real trick at this Subaru party is driver-selectable X-MODE. The system features Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud modes, as well as an automatically sensing Low Speed/Low Ratio gradient control that can shift the standard CVT to its lowest ratio (4.066:1) for stable descents and rock crawling. With active torque vectoring now available on all four corners for its vaunted all-wheel drive system, the Crosstrek Wilderness should be able to perform a reasonable imitation of a real 4×4.
The 2.5-liter direct-injection boxer four-cylinder remains with an advertised 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque, as well as plenty of standard equipment one finds on well-appointed Crosstreks of any flavor—EyeSight driver assist technology, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless phone charger, and other goodies. In a nod to the overland crowd, Subaru also claims the standard ladder-style roof rack will support 700 pounds of static weight and 176 pounds of dynamic weight, enough to bolt on the roof-top tent of your choice without worry.
The 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness will begin arriving in (and quickly departing from) Subaru retailers this fall with an MSRP of $31,995.
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