Fans of the Subaru Forester have something to look forward to for 2022. The brand has given the model a refresh with the big news being the addition of a Wilderness trim to the lineup.
The refresh is subtle. The Forester’s entire front facia including the grill and headlights get reworked. Its roof rails have been redesigned and all trims come standard with Subaru’s driver-assistance suite of tech called EyeSight. One interesting thing to note about EyeSight on the Wilderness trim is its calibration. Our own Adam Ismail got up close and personal with the Forester Wilderness at a Subaru event recently and was told that Subaru owners had been lifting their own vehicles, which messed with the vision angle of EyeSight. EyeSight on the Wilderness has been calibrated to adjust for it’s lift so there won’t be any issues.
All models continue to be powered by the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter boxer engine with 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. That engine gets paired to the brand’s Lineartronic CVT which may or may not be a good thing. And it wouldn’t be a Subaru without standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive.
The big news is the Wilderness trim, which sits two trims down from the top of the line in the six-trim lineup. Just like its Outback Wilderness cousin, Subaru describes the Forester Wilderness as the “most rugged and trail-capable Forester ever.” What makes it so rugged? Well, you’ll notice the design differences first:
To visually communicate the more capable off-road performance, the Forester Wilderness adds exclusive styling with all-new front fascia with bold hexagonal front grille, larger wheel arch cladding, front skid plate, unique hexagonal LED fog lights and an anti-glare hood decal in matte-black finish.
As for the rugged parts, that includes things like Yokohama GEOLANDAR all-terrain tires on 17-inch wheels, a 9.2-inch ground clearance that Subaru says is half an inch more than a standard Forester, and larger coil springs and shock absorbers. Inside there are special water-resistant seats and a stronger roof rack that can hold up to 800 lbs when the vehicle is parked.
Pricing for the 2022 Forester starts at $25,195 for the base model and tops out at $35,295 for the Touring. The Wilderness starts at $32,820. The 2022 Forester hits dealers in October.
