The New Subaru Forester Wilderness Is Missing A Key Feature

The new 2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness is only sold in North America for U.S. and Canadian customers. But Canada gets a critical feature that you won’t see on U.S. models. The Wilderness trim in Canada includes heated front seats with the standard all-weather package; the U.S. models only get heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, and windshield wiper de-icer.

Subaru Canada says, “Contrast copper stitching on the seats, and heated leather steering wheel matches the exterior accents as well as copper details found inside on the shifter, steering wheel, and gauge meter rings.”

The all-new rugged 2022 Forester Wilderness trim is built in Gunma, Japan, for North American customers. The two rugged models are identical, except the Canadian Forester Wilderness comes standard with a heated steering wheel.

The 2022 Forester Wilderness sold in the U.S. comes with a single options package including Subaru Starlink, an 8.0-inch multimedia navigation system, Harman Kardon premium sound, and a rear power gate. The option package has a retail price of $1,850. A heated steering wheel is not an option.

The Forester Wilderness won’t arrive until this fall, and customers in the northern U.S. would appreciate the added warmth of having the heat on their hands. U.S. outdoor enthusiasts will have to wear gloves when the temperature drops below freezing in the Northeast, Rocky Mountains, and the Northwest.

Subaru pulled a similar stunt when they launched the 2022 Outback Wilderness. The Canadian Outback Wilderness also came standard with a heated steering wheel, and U.S. customers were left out.

The new 2022 Forester Wilderness was inspired by customers who are already modifying their vehicles. But customers who want a heated wheel will have to alter their new outdoor model if they live in the U.S. market.

We are surprised that U.S. customers get left out again. Subaru of America sells around ten times more vehicles than Subaru Canada, and Subaru Corporation priorities its U.S. customers. Yasushi Enami, chairman, president, and CEO of Subaru Canada, must have different influences in Japan to get the additional feature on his Forester Wilderness models.

What is the price of the 2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness?

The U.S. specification 2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness is priced at $33,945, including destination and delivery fees. There’s a slim chance Subaru Corporation will ship a Canadian spec Wilderness trim to U.S. customers.

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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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