2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness Is A Meaner Off-Road Wagon With A Thing For Plastic Armor

Subaru has revealed the new 2022 Outback Wilderness as the most rugged and off-road-capable Outback in the nameplate’s history.

Nothing says ‘rugged’ better than some extra body cladding, and the 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness certainly fits the bill with new bumpers front and rear, a different front grille, a front skid plate, model-specific LED fog lights, extended wheel arch trims, and very striking matte black anti-glare hood decal.

In addition, Subaru sprinkled some high-contrast accents in Anodized Copper-finish around the bodywork in areas like the tow hook anchor points and roof rail tie-down points. There’s also a new, more utilitarian ladder-type fixed roof rack system with a static load limit of 700 lbs, enabling the use of accessories such as a roof tent.

Higher ground clearance and off-road tires

The more aggressive look is backed up by a 0.8-inch suspension lift, raising the ground clearance of the Outback Wilderness to 9.5 inches, and a set of exclusive 17-inch matte black alloy wheels shod in Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tires. The front and rear dampers and springs are now longer for both more ground clearance and suspension travel.

As you might have imagined, the higher ground clearance improves the off-road stats of the Outback, with the approach angle going from 18.6 to 20 degrees, the breakover angle from 19.4 to 21.2 degrees, and the departure angle from 21.7 to an impressive 23.6 degrees.

Subaru will offer the new 2022 Outback Wilderness with the 2.4-liter turbocharged flat-four engine as standard, producing 260 HP and 277 lb-ft of torque, paired to a Lineartronic CVT and all-wheel-drive with Active Torque Vectoring, as well as an upgraded ‘X-Mode’. In addition, Subaru has revised the final drive ratio from 4.11:1 to 4.44:1, which gives you more low-end torque at the wheels to climb grades up to 40 percent on a gravel surface with more ease.

The new rugged Subaru Outback Wilderness debuts in the new and exclusive Geyser Blue paint finish and features a model-specific interior; the seats are trimmed in Subaru StarTex water-repellant material with the ‘Wilderness’ logo embossed on the headrests, and there’s a copper contrast stitching throughout the cabin matching the copper detailing on the steering wheel, shifter and instrument cluster. The headliner is darker and the usual touchpoints are now finished in Gunmetal Grey instead of the standard chrome.

Subaru’s Starlink 11.6-inch portrait-oriented infotainment system is also standard, featuring Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a free 4-month subscription to SiriusXM, and a free 3-year subscription to SiriusXM Travel Link, HD Radio, and over-the-air updates. Subaru also offers a version of the infotainment with Navigation as part of an optional package that also adds a power moonroof and Reverse Automatic Braking.

Subaru will also offer a range of official accessories for the new 2022 Outback Wilderness, including aluminum or steel skid plates for the engine, transmission, and fuel tank, as well as a rear differential protector. As for pricing, it will be announced closer to launch later this year.