Subaru Crosstrek Heads for Wilderness

Subaru adds to its growing Crosstrek brand with a Wilderness trim aimed at the growing numbers of buyers who actually engage in outdoor activities that take them off-road – plowing through mud, driving to trailheads and getting to rivers and streams. It’s also meant to appeal to people who think they might do those things but may never get beyond the Whole Foods parking lot.

Like the Jeep Wrangler, Ford Bronco and other “outdoorsy” brands, which have been proliferating one-off packages named for iconic outdoor locales (e.g., Bronco’s Big Bend, Outer Banks, Badlands), Subaru is jumping into the same water with the “Wilderness,” the third expression of that trim name after the automaker has been successful with versions for the Forester and Outback.

The Wilderness’s ground clearance is 9.3 ins. (236 mm), a half-inch higher than the clearance on the standard Crosstrek. In addition, the usually conservative Subaru has a noisy “Crosstrek” graphic on each side of the CUV stenciled on black plastic cladding on the doors, as well as a large embossed “Subaru” brand declaration on the rear bumper. There is more-pronounced wheel-arch cladding, and the Geyser Blue color is exclusive to the Wilderness trim.

Priced starting at $31,995, Subaru engineered the drivetrain for enhanced off-road performance by dialing in a revised differential gear ratio and retuned CVT. The 4.111 final drive ratio (vs. 3.700 for the standard Crosstrek) improves hill-climbing prowess, and the new tuning for the CVT optimizes traction at low speeds and wet/snowy road conditions. The higher ground clearance is supported by longer coil springs and shocks.

24MY Crosstrek Wild -7

The enhancements give the Wilderness improved approach angles, increasing from 18 degrees on the standard Crosstrek to 20 degrees. The driver-selectable, dual-function X-mode system offers Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud modes, with each mode adjusting engine output and CVT ratio positions to maximize capability.

Subaru fans know why the brand’s standard all-wheel-drive system is better than those of other automakers. The boxer engine is mounted transversely, lowering the vehicle’s center of gravity. That feature, combined with the actual system, gives Subarus an advantage, with snow-busting capability like SUVs with higher ground clearance.

There is standard hill descent control, which automatically engages individual wheel-braking control for downhill descent when driving under 12 mph (19 km/h). All Crosstrek models have standard torque vectoring.

Crosstrek Callouts

Both the standard Crosstrek and Crosstrek Wilderness can be had for well below $35,000. At a time when the average new-vehicle transaction price is flirting with $50,000, the Crosstrek represents a phenomenal value in its competitive set, especially when you combine capability with proven reliability. It’s competitors include Toyota Corolla Cross, Jeep Renegade and Mazda CX-30, but none of those vehicles has the off-road chops of the Crosstrek and Wilderness trim.

The Crosstrek 2.5L is manufactured at Lafayette, IN, along with the Ascent and Outback.

Subaru’s interior design and execution was always its vulnerability, and owners have long looked past mediocre cockpits in order to experience the vehicles’ go-anywhere mountain-goat personality. But now, with the latest Impreza and Crosstrek, the company seems to have hired designers with a better sense of style and tailoring skills, and no more apologies are required.