Subaru Forester will be available in a new Wilderness trim, and we got a chance to see it at the Chicago Auto Show. So will it be worth the wait?

The trail-ready SUV adds a splash more ground clearance and a dash more torque, but stands by the naturally aspirated flat-four.

Subaru has just taken the wraps off the 2026 Forester Wilderness.Built on the new Forester platform that debut last year, this is the first second-generation Wilderness model in the brand’s lineup.Although there’s no radical departure from Subaru’s Wildernessification,

We've gotten some details about the upcoming 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness SUV which will launch this coming fall. Here's everything we know.

No huge changes come under the skin when compared to the outgoing 2025 Forester Wilderness; 2026 models actually lose two horsepower, down to 180, but gain two pound-feet of torque, up to 178. Subaru says the engine and transmission have been retuned to make more of that power accessible at lower engine speeds.

In its second year of production, the sixth-generation Forester is finally taking that quantum leap from straight-ICE to an optional battery-hybrid.

Forester has officially gained two new trim packages. The rugged Wilderness trim package is back, seen previously on the last-gen Forester and on other Subaru models such as the Outback and Crosstrek.