Subaru has unveiled the 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness at the New York International Auto Show. According to Subaru, this new Wilderness variant – which looks great and goes on sale this fall starting at $31,995 – is the most rugged and trail-capable Crosstrek model ever.
To that end, the new Crosstrek Wilderness, powered by the 2.5-liter flat-4 engine with 182 horsepower, has a rugged suspension with 9.3 inches of ground clearance, 0.6 inches more than a standard Crosstrek. Longer coil springs and shock absorbers help provide the added ground clearance while also significantly improving the vehicle’s approach and departure angles.
The approach angle, for the record, is now 20.0 degrees, up from 18.0 in the stock Crosstrek. The departure angle goes from 30.1 to 33.0 degrees, aided by a newly shaped rear bumper imprinted with SUBARU in big block letters. Looking at the Crosstrek Wilderness from behind, you can tell it’s been raised by how easy it is to see the lower control arms of the rear suspension.
As we’ve already seen on Subaru’s other Wilderness models (the Outback and the Forester), all-terrain Yokohama Geolandar tires (with raised white letters) are on duty, mounted to matte-black 17-inch alloy wheels.
X-Mode AWD
Enhancing the off-road prowess of the new Crosstrek Wilderness is Subaru’s driver-selectable X-Mode all-wheel-drive (AWD) system. This dual-function system, with Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud modes, maximizes traction in varying conditions by tuning engine output and CVT transmission ratios for the situation at hand. X-Mode increases the engagement of the active all-wheel-drive system while also improving the interaction between the stability control and traction control.
Note: When X-Mode is activated, a Low Speed/Low Ratio Gradient Control senses when the Crosstrek Wilderness climbs a steep incline at a slow speed. At this point, the CVT automatically switches to its lowest ratio to enhance the vehicle’s climbing abilities, which are further improved by the lower final-drive ratio gearing (4.111:1 vs. 3.700:1 in the standard Crosstrek)
Additionally, thanks in part to a transmission oil cooler, the maximum towing capacity of the new Crosstrek Wilderness is 3,500 pounds, more than double that of the standard Crosstrek.
Also standard: Hill descent control and active torque vectoring.
Unique Style
What sets the new 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness apart visually? New front and rear bumpers, along with a bold hexagonal grille and what some might call an overly generous dose of plastic body cladding, mostly around the wheel arches. The Crosstrek Wilderness also gets a metal front skid plate, plus hex-design LED fog lights and a black anti-glare decal on the hood.
Other notable design elements include a body-color roof spoiler and black side mirrors with integrated turn signals. Among the exterior colors offered will be Geyser Blue, which is exclusive to the Wilderness family.
Other Cool Stuff
Subaru research shows that Crosstrek owners really do go camping. They put the roof rack to good work. Therefore, the ladder-type rack on the new Crosstrek Wilderness is far from cosmetic. It boasts a 176-pound dynamic load capacity and a 700-pound static load limit. This means a larger roof-top tent for two works just fine on the new Crosstrek Wilderness, whose roof rails are also designed to accommodate a wide variety of carrying accessories.
In usual Wilderness fashion, Subaru equips the Crosstrek Wilderness cabin with water-resistant upholstery, replete with Wilderness logos embossed in the front headrests. The dark upholstery has copper-colored stitching, which is complemented by other splashes of copper color on the shifter, instrument panel, and leather-wrapped steering wheel.
Gunmetal Grey complements a black headliner trim on the dash, doors, and shifter plate, and all-weather floor mats are standard. What’s more, there’s a water-resistant cargo tray in back to protect your Crosstrek from wet or muddy gear. An LED light integrated into the rear hatch is another nice touch.
Last, we’d be remiss not to mention the dash’s most notable feature: a large portrait-oriented 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen, which has large icons and teams well with the standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Safety Not Forgotten
Although the new Crosstrek Wilderness is all about getting you to a remote camping site (and looking cool while doing it), it’s still a Subaru. Which means it has EyeSight, the thorough safety suite that includes adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking, a lane-departure warning, and a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic assist and automatic rear braking.
Where Will it be Built?
The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness will be built at Subaru’s plant in Lafayette, Indiana. It’s the same factory that builds the other two Crosstrek 2.5-liter models, plus the Ascent, Legacy, and Outback.
