When Subaru revealed the 2024 Crosstrek in its U.S. specification at the Chicago Auto Show, we talked to Subaru representatives and asked them if we would ever see a Wilderness variant like with the Forester and Outback. And they just smiled and gave no real comment. Now we see why. The company just announced that it will reveal a new Wilderness model at the New York Auto Show, and it seems pretty obvious that it will be a Crosstrek Wilderness.
It could also be a BRZ Wilderness. We wouldn’t object. But that would seem … unlikely.
Actually, we should address the fact that there are other models in the Subaru lineup besides Crosstrek that are missing Wilderness trims. In addition to the aforementioned BRZ, there’s the Impreza, Legacy, Ascent and WRX. The Impreza and Legacy are probably out since they respectively have the more rugged Crosstrek and Outback covering that area, and the latter is already available as a Wilderness. The WRX is in a similar situation as the Impreza, plus greater ride height and all-terrain tires wouldn’t exactly help with the car’s performance goals. The Ascent would have the best chance this side of the Crosstrek, being a more conventional SUV, and filling a segment in which the Outback doesn’t quite compete.
That brings us to the reasons the Crosstrek is our bet. First and foremost is the fact that the Crosstrek was Subaru’s best-selling model last year, topping even the Outback. And now that it has been given a thorough update, the timing is perfect. And even if it weren’t the top seller, the regular Crosstrek is halfway to being a Wilderness anyway. It’s got a major suspension lift compared to an Impreza right out of the gate, plus it’s available with some of the same X-Mode features of the Forester and Outback Wildernesses. It won’t take much to get it the rest of the way.
We’ll know most of the details soon. The debut is scheduled for April 5 during the New York Auto Show. And you can be sure to find the details on that Wilderness here at Autoblog. Especially, if we end up wrong and it’s a BRZ Wilderness.
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