2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness detailed: Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai Tucson rival scores ultra-rugged makeover

Subaru has nudged its Forester more towards hardcore off-road territory with the unveiling of the new Wilderness grade.

However, it looks like Australia will miss out on the new Forester Wilderness, which will remain a US-market exclusive grade for now.

“Whilst there are no immediate plans for any Wilderness models in Australia, we are following the progress of the Wilderness edition very closely,” a Subaru spokesperson told CarsGuide.

The Wilderness nameplate has been trademarked in Australia though, so don’t rule out a line of hardcore Subaru SUVs coming to take on the likes of the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk or even Toyota LandCruiser Prado at some point in the future.

To differentiate the Wilderness from the rest of the Forester range, Subaru has added unique exterior and interior appointments, most notably of which is an increase to the ride height from 221mm to 234mm.

To achieve this, longer springs and shock absorbers are fitted, while “special tuning helps maintain the Forester’s exceptional ride and handling performance”, according to Subaru.

The Forester Wilderness also scores all-terrain tyres, wrapped around 17-inch matte black wheels to give it more grip on trails.

Its roof rails have also been upgraded to support up to 363kg when stationary, useful for those that like to make use of a roof tent when getting off the beaten path.

Cosmetically, the Forester Wilderness is fitted with a unique front grille, more prominent wheelarch cladding, a front skid plate, anti-glare hood decal and hexagonal LED fog lights.

However, the changes don’t just stop at the exterior, with the cabin also scoring water-resistant materials, while an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with satellite navigation and a powered tailgate are options.

Unfortunately, there are no changes made the Forester’s 2.5-litre Boxer engine, which sends drive to all four wheels via a continuously variable automatic transmission.

Power and torque outputs remain at 136kW/239Nm.

However, Subaru’s X-Mode drive-mode selector is retained, which allows different settings for snow, dirt, mud and more.

The Forester is the second Subaru models to score a Wilderness variant, the first being the Outback revealed back in June.

The Outback shares similar changes to the Forester Wilderness, receiving an increase in ride height and the fitment of off-road tyres.