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With the announcement of the Subaru Outback Wilderness trim, what could be next for the brand? It seems that Subaru is taking the off-roading thing seriously these days, which is evident with some of the new Wilderness features. Could a Crosstrek Wilderness trim be next?

What is the Subaru Outback Wilderness?

2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness Interior | Subaru

The new 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness is ready for the off-road. According to Car and Driver, Subaru decided to up the suspension by 0.8 inches to make a total of 9.5 inches of ground clearance.

Subaru calls the Outback Wilderness the “most rugged and capable Outback in the auto manufacturer’s history” in a press release. And to be fair, it does seem that way.

The front approach angle is 20.0 degrees, while the ramp break-over angle is set to 21.2 degrees. The departure angle moved to 23.6 degrees. This basically means it is easier for the Outback to climb stuff. It also has better all-terrain tires.

Subaru also added a full-size spare for those “oops” moments, on and off-road. It is a crossover, an SUV, and a less-mild-than-usual off-road machine.

What might a Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness consist of?

The Drive proposed back in 2020 that a new 2022 Subaru WRX was on the way in the fall of this year. In addition to that, a Subaru WRX STI and Impreza are both on the agenda for early 2023.

“According to reports cited by AutoGuide, they expect the WRX to make around 300 hp, have standard all-wheel-drive and still offer buyers the choice between a CVT and a manual transmission.”

It would be cool to see a Wilderness trim for one or all of those options. The information provided in the article suggests there would be a Wilderness trim for the Outback, Forester, and Crosstrek toward the end of this year.

This would be that Subaru would have a truly off-road capable lineup to tickle the fancy of many enthusiasts. With a minor-lift and some better tires, these new Subarus might be able to hang with the big Jeeps.

One of the benefits of the Subaru brand is general is the capability off-road coupled with the fuel efficiency and other creature comforts. The Wilderness edition is giving us just that.

What is the most off-road capable Subaru?

Subaru seems to really be listening to fans these days. The recent cars in the lineup prove that the brand has been listening to feedback and actually putting it into production.

The Forester and the Outback are both capable off-roading vehicles that will only have improved adventures with the Wilderness trim. Adding the new X-mode and various other off-roading functions stepped the game up.

This isn’t to say you are going to be able to scale rocks like in a Jeep or something similar, but you can certainly get around. For those that aren’t that serious about dirt and aren’t planning on hitting Moab on the weekend, this new lineup screams “buy me!”

Subaru declined to comment about the potential future Wilderness lineup.

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