Subaru Outback Wilderness 2022: a civilized beast

The Subaru Outback Wilderness is a new interpretation of a well-known model. It wonderfully blends compelling off-road ability with an urban vocation. It’s the best of both worlds, some would say.

The appearance of the Wilderness versions at Subaru confirms that the manufacturer is listening to consumers. In recent years, there has been a craze for vehicles that look like adventurers and endowments that prepare them better to face stony and bumpy dirt roads. Subaru looked into the matter and modified the Outback and Forester to make new variants called Wilderness.

These new features that have appeared in the 2022 Outback and Forester range are therefore part of a movement that has given birth to several other vehicles of the kind. Think of the Passport TrailSport at Honda or the Explorer Timberline at Ford.

However, do not believe that these vehicles are ready to take part in the next Dakar rally! Anyway, in many cases, the buyer is much more interested in their “inspiring” aesthetic than a possible walk in nature. This was expressed by several Subaru owners who approached us on the street to find out more about the elegant Outback Wilderness Bleu geyser we tested.

The art of being noticed

With such a color, you can’t miss it. It’s true. And this shade of blue – reserved for both Wilderness and which is brighter than the Pearl Abyss Blue offered for other versions of the Outback – is not the only design element that sets this model apart.

The Outback Wilderness has a unique front fascia with a redesigned bumper, separate grille, and fog lights made up of six hexagon-shaped LEDs. A matte black strip has been added to the aluminum hood to reduce glare from the sun. As for the rear bumper, it has also been redesigned, while the wheel arches have asymmetrical plastic moldings covering a larger area than the more ordinary ones on other Outbacks.

The military-looking alloy wheels have a matte black finish and are shod with 17-inch tires. These Yokohama Geolandar A / T are all-season tires, since they have the “heavy-duty snow” rating. There are even exclusive roof rails. When the vehicle is stationary, they can support a mass of up to 317 kg, such as a tent deployed for the night and its two occupants. These spars can be recognized by their copper anodized finish trim; small decorative notes that find their echo in the bumpers.

Ready to go into nature

Leaning over, we discover under this Outback four metal protective plates under the engine, gearbox and rear differential. Added to this is an increased suspension which increases the ground clearance from 220 to 241 mm (the highest among the brand’s products). It makes the angles of attack, overhang and ramp more pronounced to facilitate the crossing of small obstacles.

The interior is similar to that of other Outbacks. It differs, however, by decorative accents in anodized copper finish on the steering wheel and gear lever. They are reminiscent of those of the bodywork. The seats have a so-called easier to clean and more resistant upholstery. An aluminum crankset, finally, gives a sporty touch to the whole.

A camera placed at the front of the vehicle, under the manufacturer’s badge, transmits images to the central vertical 11.6-inch screen showing almost 180 degrees of what is happening in front of the car. Usable up to 20 km / h, this camera is as practical when approaching a hidden summit in nature as it is at a crowded intersection.

In addition to all this, we find an endowment close to that of the two high-end versions which surpass the rather beefy price of the Wilderness ($ 41,995 compared to $ 42,395 for the Limited XT and $ 44,195 for the Premier XT) . We therefore have, among other equipment, a heated steering wheel and heated seats in front and behind, as well as the EyeSight package which brings together many driving assistance and safety devices. Music lovers, however, will be saddened to discover that the pretending top-of-the-line Outback Wilderness lacks the 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system from the Limited XT and Premier XT; an interesting system yet installed in slightly cheaper versions: the Premier ($ 39,595) and Limited ($ 41,395).

Plenty of space

For the rest, apart from the boarding which requires a slightly accentuated stride because of the higher ground clearance, we find the Outback that we know well. This spacious and versatile wagon (an SUV, some readers will say) can comfortably accommodate four adults on long trips. The rear space (foot and leg room) is also suitable for three adults for short trips. Up front, firmer seats would nevertheless be welcome.

The dashboard is well laid out and the instrumentation is close at hand. Its design is not revolutionary. However, the finish is neat and the materials used are of good quality. In addition, the central screen interface facilitates its use thanks, among other things, to large tactile buttons. As for the trunk, when you fold down the 60/40 seatbacks (an operation that is done in a jiffy), it becomes gargantuan.

The soundproofing of the passenger compartment is effective. You have to be outside to recognize the characteristic sound of the opposed 4-cylinder Boxer engine. This Outback does not share the naturally aspirated 182 horsepower 4-cylinder of the Forester Wilderness. In the Outback range, this 2.5L engine is reserved for the less expensive variants. Instead, the Outback Wilderness takes over the turbocharged 4-cylinder that Subaru had previously reserved for the two more opulent versions: Limited XT and Premier XT. This mill delivers 260 hp and produces 277 lb-ft of torque over a range of 2000 to 4800 rpm. There is no shortage of breath! It allows the Wilderness to go from 0 to 100 km / h in about 7 seconds, while the other engine takes 2 more. Lots of torque, when driving off-road comes in handy. On the other hand, in a bumpy road, this power of acceleration is of little importance. You should know that such power is in fuel … The EnerGuide site attributes an average of 10.0 L / 100 km to the Outback Wilderness, but during our test, it was an average of 11.2 L that we got. Such a rating resembles that of an Explorer Timberline (11.5 L)!

Regarding the continuously variable automatic transmission that is paired with this engine, it lacks smoothness when you put the vehicle in motion. The jerks felt then are not up to a model that wants to be upscale, nor for that matter the automatic stop-start device at idle. It looks like it was borrowed from a tractor, so lacking in discretion when restarting the engine.

However, the manufacturer is to be praised (yes, nothing less than that) for achieving a suspension suitable for off-road driving that provides a surprisingly comfortable ride on highways. Bravo also for the precise power steering as desired and not overassisted moreover, as could be that of old models of the mark. This all-purpose wagon is undoubtedly a real delight to drive, and not just on the asphalt!