- Now in its third generation, the 2024 Crosstrek is joining the Subaru Wilderness family of off-roaders.
- Following in the footsteps of the Outback and Forester, the Crosstrek Wilderness adds subtle visual and practical changes to the SUV.
- The Wilderness more than doubles the towing capacity, from 1500 to 3500 pounds.
From Ford’s Raptor badge to Toyota’s TRD nameplate, buyers and manufacturers alike love to show off how special their vehicle is through a curated subbrand. Subaru has been building out its roster of off-road-themed Wilderness models lately, and it’s now adding a third model to the lineup in the form of the 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness. It joins the Outback and Forester Wilderness editions in offering Subaru fans a more rugged option to explore flora and fauna.
Where the Wild Things Are
Like the other Wilderness editions, the Crosstrek Wilderness revises the basic formula of a Subaru with a rugged twist. The special edition includes an upgraded drivetrain, a raised suspension, and a front metal skid plate that all aim to give drivers a bit of extra confidence—and the all-important outward appearance of ruggedness—for reaching further campsites and trickier trailheads.
The revised suspension features a 0.6-inch lift, providing a total of 9.3 inches of ground clearance. That extra height improves the approach and departure angles too. The approach angle increases from 18.0 degrees in your run-of-the-mill Crosstrek models to 20.0 degrees on the Wilderness, while the departure angle increases from 30.0 to 33.0 degrees and the breakover angle moves up from 19.7 to 21.1 degrees.
Nothing has changed in the power department, as the same 2.5-liter flat-four that’s optional on the standard Crosstrek is standard on the Wilderness and still churns out 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque. A new transmission oil coiler more than doubles the maximum tow rating from 1500 pounds to 3500 pounds. The final-drive ratio is revised to 4.11:1 in place of the Crosstrek’s standard 3.70:1. Unfortunately, the manual-transmission option is as gone for the Wilderness as it is for every other Crosstrek, and a continuously variable automatic transmission is standard across the board.
The driver-selectable X-Modes offer snow/dirt and deep snow/mud options, adjusting throttle and transmission tuning where required. The system detects steep inclines and automatically enables low-ratio gradient control. Standard Hill Descent Control also automatically applies braking on descents under 12 mph.
Controlled Descent
The roof racks are reworked to allow a 176-pound dynamic load capacity and 700-pound static load limit, making rooftop tents viable. A collection of visual changes help the Wilderness stand out on the road. Yokohama Geolandar A/T tires with raised white lettering ride on matte-black 17-inch alloy wheels. Copper accents contrast the black cladding surrounding the bodywork. The Geyser Blue paint option from the other Wilderness vehicles appears on the Crosstrek’s palette, as do the host of Wilderness logos found everywhere from the headrests to the floor mats.
The Wilderness will be built in Lafayette, Indiana, along with the other Crosstrek 2.5-liter models, and it will carry a starting price of $33,290 when it joins the lineup in the fall.
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Associate News Editor
Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.
