Subaru Wilderness sub-brand green-lit for Australia

After months of speculation, Subaru Australia has confirmed it will launch the Japanese brand’s new Wilderness sub-brand locally, beginning with more rugged versions of the Outback and Forester, followed almost certainly by the new Crosstrek.

Speaking with carsales at the local launch of the new Subaru Crosstrek this week, Subaru Australia general manager Blair Read finally committed to the Wilderness sub-brand after being circumspect on the matter for some time.

“We’re very keen and talks are progressing. But Wilderness will come, it’s in the pipeline,” Read reported.

“We’re just working on timings and executions, but there is great co-operation from the factory and now it’s full steam ahead working to finalise that.

“But it will come.”

The road to Wilderness confirmation has been a lengthy one, but for good reason. The Wilderness sub-brand was originally conceived as an American-focussed model variant built at Subaru’s left-hand drive plant in Indiana.

With Australian examples of Outback sourced from Japan, Wilderness versions for our market could only happen by ramping up production at the Japanese factory, as well as adjusting for other subtle differences between left- and right-hand drive Outbacks.

But Read has now indicated the Outback and Forester will be the first Wilderness models for Australia.

Both will come here offering added capability courtesy of jacked-up suspension, all-terrain tyres, beefier underbodies and more aggressive interior and exterior designs – all salivating prospects for adventure-hungry Aussies.

“In terms of what exists now, there is an Outback Wilderness, a Forester Wilderness and a Crosstrek Wilderness that has just been announced,” he said.

“Outback and Forester are our key focus at this point, but with Crosstrek Wilderness just being launched there is an opportunity with that as well. We’ll look at that as it gets closer.”

There’s no firm release timing for Wilderness versions of the Outback or Forester yet, and with the Crosstrek Wilderness not due to enter North American showrooms until the final quarter of this year, it wouldn’t be available here until next year at the earliest.

It adds further appeal with a bigger 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine (136kW/239Nm) and revised continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) with shortened final drive ratio (4.111) for better off-road performance.

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