Subaru Forester Wilderness Returns For 2025, But It’s Not What You Think It Is

If you’ve been waiting for an updated Forester Wilderness for next year’s lineup, you’re in luck as Subaru has officially announced the return of the rugged nameplate, along with its pricing, for the 2025 model year. Manage your expectations, however, as the 2025 Forester Wilderness isn’t based on the new-generation model. There’s also a price hike for the most off-road-ready Forester to date.

Still based on the fifth-generation Subaru Forester SK, the announced Forester Wilderness is just the same as the 2024 model. It still comes with 9.2 inches of ground clearance, upgraded coil springs and shock absorbers, and 17-inch matte-black alloy wheels wrapped in all-terrain Yokohama Geolandar tires. The price now starts at $34,995, which is a small $75 increase over the outgoing model.

Still Ready For The Outdoors

All other variant-specific enhancements are retained in the 2025 Forester Wilderness, including larger cladding around the fenders, front skid plate, anti-glare matte decals on the hood, and the ladder-style roof rails that can support up to 800 lbs when not moving, perfect for camping tents. Inside, the water-resistant StarTex seats remain standard, along with the all-weather mats and cargo tray.

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Like the rest of the vehicle, the 2025 Forester Wilderness is still powered by the same 2.5-liter Boxer engine paired with Subaru’s lineartronic CVT. This power plant sends 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels via the standard Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system. A $2,000 option is also offered, which adds a bigger 8.0-inch infotainment, a Harman Kardon premium audio setup with 576-watt equivalent amp and nine speakers, and a power tailgate.

Is There A New One Coming?

With an all-new Subaru Forester already out and about (depicted below), you might be wondering if a new Wilderness version is coming. Fear not as Subaru has confirmed to CarBuzz before that the off-road nameplate is coming to the Forester SL, though the specific timeline for this isn’t set in stone yet. That means, if you want the absolute latest, you might want to exhibit a little bit of patience.

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But, if you want a Forester Wilderness right now to satisfy your urge to explore the outdoors, the tiny price hike shouldn’t be a problem. Subaru said the 2025 Forester Wilderness is coming to showrooms early next year, assembled alongside the all-new Forester SL in Gunma, Japan – at least until it starts building the vehicle locally in Lafayette, Indiana.