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• Subaru presented the next model from its range to go wild, this at the New York Auto Show.
• The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness becomes the third Subaru model to receive the package, after the Forester and the Outback.
• With greater ground clearance, all-terrain tires and an upgraded suspension, this is touted as the most rugged Crosstrek to date.
New York, NY - Subaru has introduced the third model to get its Wilderness package, after the Forester and Outback models. The new 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness made its official debut this morning at the 2023 New York Auto Show.
That package enhances the model with esthetic elements inside and out, but also functional improvements to satisfy those Crosstrek owners who, in the words of a Subaru representative, want to “get a little bit further out there.” This is thus no rock crawler, this SUV that is an adapted Impreza we remind you, but it does get modifications that increase its abilities on harsher terrain; the changes are not all surface.
Those modifications include a large matte black hood cover for glare reduction and stripped-down front and rear bumper corners to keep the vehicle from banging its elbows among rocks, holes and such. In case that happens anyways, there’s an additional aluminum front lower skid plate. On top of that, ground clearance has been increased for this model, in fact at 9.3 inches (235 mm) it’s the highest clearance of any Subaru model, including other Wilderness models.
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Lest you worry that makes the Crosstrek Wilderness a little top-heavy, Subaru has adjusted dampers to match the elevated stance and ensure proper drive stability. The Wilderness’ configuration also allows for better approach and departure angles compared to the regular model.
Beyond all that, the rear differential in this variant is different, unique in fact in the brand’s model lineup. It’s of higher strength, and even the coil springs are longer and have thicker coating in anticipation of the slightly more brutal treatment the Wilderness will get.
Under the hood there’s a bigger radiator and radiator fan, and of course the model rides on all-terrain tires (Yokohama Geolanders), akin to those on the Forester Wilderness and Outback Wilderness. For those with big ideas about pushing those tires up and up, the maximum uphill slope is greater here than on the standard model.
Note that the Crosstrek Wilderness has a much higher towing capacity (3,500 lb) than the regular Crosstrek (1,500 lb). Note as well that this variant runs on a 2.5L Subaru Boxer engine (no turbo here), which delivers 182 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque.
Visual distinguishing marks include exclusive wheel designs, hexagonal six-LED fog lamps, anodized yellow tow hook covers as we’ve seen in previous Wilderness models and an extended black-out area in the rear, which features a large engraved Subaru Wilderness logo.
There are two exterior colours exclusive to Canada and to the Crosstrek Wilderness model, Geyser Blue (familiar from the other Wilderness models) and Alpine Green. If you don’t like either of those there are five more choices awaiting you.
The Wilderness edition comes with a ladder-type roof rack that can support 176 lb in driving and 700 lb statically, meaning two adults and their tent can go up there.
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Inside
The new Wilderness edition of the Crosstrek comes with soft-touch, all-weather materials (thus better resistant to water) and bunch of distinguishing esthetic touches that set the variant parts. The Wilderness logo is found on the seat headrest and again on the meter display when starting the engine. There’s contrasting stitching on the seats and copper accents on the shifter, gauge meter rings and leather-wrapped steering wheel. Even the standard all-weather floor mats feature a unique Wilderness design.
The cargo area, meanwhile, gets an all-weather floor mat, and can be admired thanks to the space’s dedicated LED light.
In terms of tech, the Crosstrek Wilderness comes standard with Subaru’s 11.6-inch Starlink multimedia touchscreen. The system has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and allows for a full-screen display. There’s also Bluetooth hands-free phone and audio streaming connectivity, AM/FM stereo, rear vision camera and over-the-air updates.
The Wilderness is also equipped with a wireless phone charger in the centre console.
Subaru did not share pricing on the 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness, promising them closer to the model’s launch, set for this fall. We do know that the other Wilderness models sit near the top of their trim range in terms of pricing, so we can expect the same here. The model will be built at the company’s plant in Lafayette, Indiana.
Asked what percentage of Crosstrek sales they think the Wilderness edition will gobble up once it hits the market, Subaru representatives mentioned a ballpark figure of 10 percent. We shall see.
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