In less than a week, Subaru will reveal the latest member of the Wilderness family, currently occupied by the Forester and Outback. The off-road package will be available for another Subaru vehicle in the US, though the automaker has yet to disclose which of its vehicles will get the rugged makeover.
As a followup to the first teaser last week, Subaru is now showing the rear end of its latest Wilderness model. The teaser image follows the current design ethos of the Outback Wilderness' rear bumper – this time a debossed "Subaru" word mark being flanked by two orange markers on the black cladding.
As mentioned, Subaru hasn't disclosed which model will get the Wildnerness designation, though we previously deduced that it could either be the Crosstek or the Ascent. Judging by the latest teaser, it isn't hard to imagine the Crosstek getting the rugged rear bumper. In fact, it appears to be quite a perfect fit.
That said, there are many factors that make the Crosstek a likely candidate as the next Wilderness model. It was Subaru's best-selling model in 2022, so giving it a more outgoing version with grippy tires and extra space from the ground does make perfect sense. Even better, the Crosstek was just given a refresh for the 2024 model year.
Of note, the 2024 Subaru Crosstek will reach dealerships later this year with two engine options: the base 152-horsepower 2.0-liter and the top-spec 182-hp 2.5-liter. The latter, which will be available in the Sport and Limited trims, are built in Lafayette, Indiana. If the Crosstek will indeed get the Wilderness package, it will more likely be equipped with the more powerful mill.
These are just are speculations on our end, but we only have a few days to see whether our predictions will hold up. The next Subaru Wildnerness model will be fully revealed at the New York Auto Show, happening on April 5, 2023.
