Will The New Subaru Forester Wilderness Be Wild? Why It Needs A Turbo
Subaru of America asked for more rugged Forester and Outback models, and U.S. customers will get them in 2021. Torque News reported on the new Wilderness models last November, and further information surfaced earlier this month.
Automotive News (by subscription) reported Subaru told retailers about the new Wilderness branding that will launch with the 2022 Subaru Forester and Outback models at its winter meetings. Patrick Wergin, chairman of the Subaru National Retailer Advisory Board, told AN, the new Wilderness models will feature a "rugged appearance package and better tires for off-road pursuits."
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The 2.4-liter turbocharged Boxer engine will likely power the 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness, but what about the 2022 Forester Wilderness? The current Forester comes with the 2.5-liter naturally-aspirated powerplant. What the new Forester needs are a turbocharged engine to be wild enough for U.S. customers.
A new report from Motoring says the Australian-specification 2022 Forester will not be turbocharged. When asked whether a turbocharged Forester would return to the lineup, Subaru general manager Blair Read said no, "Not at this point." Australia will not get the Forester Wilderness models, at least not this year, as they will come to the U.S. market first.
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The new Wilderness trim will be more than an appearance package. "The Wilderness is going to give additional capabilities in those car lines, additional style, and the look of off-roading to a greater degree than we have right now," said Wally Sommer, president of Sommer's Subaru in Mequon, Wisconsin. "It does fit the Subaru character perfectly."
Wergin says, "We're hoping the Wilderness edition will attract consumers that are active lifestyle families and that do like to go out and maybe do a little bit more off-roading. We're excited about the opportunity to have this vehicle capture new clients in the segment."
Sommer says, "People are going to be very pleased with the product when they see it." Subaru of America will make the official Forester and Outback Wilderness model announcement soon. If the new 2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness will be successful with an active generation, Subaru needs to offer the 2.4-liter turbocharged engine. Stay tuned.
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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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Photo credit: LP Aventure