The Forester is finally ready to head back into the Wilderness. Today at the Chicago Auto Show, Subaru revealed the rugged and capable Wilderness version of its latest Forester crossover.

At the same time, Subaru gave the Forester something it needed even more than a bit of extra ground clearance: a hybrid model. It delivers some desperately needed extra horsepower and fuel economy to the popular adventurous crossover.

2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness

When Subaru launched the 2025 Forester last year, it was full of small changes to make the popular model a little bit better in as many ways as possible. The Wilderness model, a version of the Forester with more ground clearance, all-terrain tires, and some other features you’d want if you were spending much time outdoors, was missing from the new model lineup.

Subaru still built the Forester Wilderness, but it was the old model, and it stood out like that patch of trees loggers leave so they can deny it was a clearcut. With the 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness, the brand cuts those last trees down. Or, more accurately to the metaphor, grows the rest of the forest.

Subaru’s Forester Wilderness will arrive in the fall of 2025 as a 2026 model-year vehicle. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but expect it to be close to the price of a Limited model, which is $35,995 for 2025.

Wilderness = Better Off-Road

The standard Forester offers 8.7 inches of ground clearance, the same as it did in 2024. The Wilderness model jumps to 9.3 inches, 0.1 inches more than the outgoing Wilderness model.

It’s more than just a suspension lift; Subaru has also tweaked the longer shocks and springs for better comfort and stability. The taller Forester Wilderness offers 23.5-degree approach and 25.5-degree departure angles, a few degrees better than the standard Forester.

More important than the angles, unless you have a protractor in your gear bag, the Wilderness gets underbody protection. It also gets Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tires on 17-inch wheels that should deliver better rough-road traction.

Subaru’s AWD system has been tweaked, including a shorter final drive, Dual Mode X-Mode, and a new transmission cooler. A rear differential temperature sensor was added for safety and to give it a bit more towing capability, now at 3,500 pounds.

Like the rest of the Subaru Wilderness lineup, the 2026 Forester adds water-resistant seat materials, an 800-pound static load roof rack, and copper-finish accents.

2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid

What Wilderness won’t offer is the engine from the just-announced 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid. The first Hybrid Forester in the U.S. integrates electric motors into the transmission mated to the 2.5L boxer-four engine.

The total output from the system is 194 horsepower instead of the 180 the sluggish gas-only engine delivers. The electric motor alone delivers 199 pound-feet of torque for loads of shove at low speeds.

Fuel economy, not power, though, is the name of the game, and the Forester Hybrid delivers. It sips fuel compared with the gas model, with an EPA estimate of 35 miles per gallon city, and 34 highway. For reference, the gas Forester is rated at 26/33. Subaru says it can cover 581 miles on a full tank of unleaded.

Forester Hybrid models will get hybrid badges on the fenders and hatch. A new Daybreak Blue Pearl paint color will also be available. All hybrid grades get an 11.6-inch center screen and a new digital gauge cluster.

2025 Forester Hybrid Pricing

The 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid will arrive at dealers this spring. Four grades will be available, ranging from the $34,995 Premium to the $41,695 Touring.