More game: Subaru introduced the off-road Forester Wilderness
The adventure version of the Forester is concocted according to the same patterns as the Outback Wilderness cross wagon that debuted in the spring. So far, the Wilderness line (translated from English as “wild nature”) has not made it out of the North American market.
The premiere of Forester Wilderness was combined with the release of a restyled version of the crossover to the North American market, which was shown in Japan back in June. The American version of the Forester has no cosmetic differences from the Japanese one, so the press service of Subaru of America did not even bother to illustrate the updated crossover properly and focused on the photo series of the off-road version of the Wilderness.
Restyled Subaru Forester for the North American market.
Restyled Subaru Forester for the North American market.
Nevertheless, we note that all Foresters received a new design of the front end with more complex headlights and different bumper designs, depending on the configuration. An improved set of electronic driver assistants EyeSight appeared in the equipment (in rich trim levels – with the function of automatic steering in emergency situations). And in the updated crossover, a reinforced roof is announced: the maximum static load on it has increased from 317 to 363 kg, dynamic (that is, the mass of cargo with which you can ride) – from 80 to 100 kg.
The reinforced roof was very useful for the off-road version of Wilderness – the car can be used as a base for a tent. Well, read the improvements are about the same as the Outback Wilderness. Ground clearance increased from 221 to 234 mm due to higher springs and dampers, approach angle increased from 20 to 23.5 degrees, departure angle from 24.6 to 25.4 degrees, ramp angle from 19.6 to 21 degrees. Suspension settings have been optimized for potholes, and X-Mode has been recalibrated. 17-inch black wheels are shod with Yokohama Geolandar A/T all-terrain tires with embossed sidewalls to help the machine cling to the ground in a rut.
The power unit for all American Foresters is one – a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated petrol boxer (185 hp, 239 Nm) paired with a Lineartronic V-chain variator, which has eight fixed gear ratios (they can be switched manually). The Wilderness version has a unique set of these quasi gears, optimized for off-road driving, and in addition, the final drive ratio has been increased from 3.7 to 4.1111. In general, traction capabilities have become better.
The visual features of the Forester Wilderness are a protective plastic body kit along the lower perimeter of the body, engine protection, plastic lining on the wheel arches and tailgate, a matte anti-glare sticker on the hood, a unique design of the radiator grille and foglights, and a unique design of roof rails. Bright orange inserts have been added to the interior, and the seats have waterproof upholstery.
The Subaru Forester Wilderness has a starting price of $32,820 and will hit US dealers in October.
We add that the Forester continues to be the most popular Subaru model in the US: from January to August of this year, 120,888 copies were sold, up 2.1% over the same period last year. But the larger Outback got close to the Forester: 115,896 units were sold in eight months. (+29.8%). In third place is the compact Crosstrek (recently known as the XV), with 89,203 units sold. (+37.3%).
Until recently, the updated Forester has not yet reached, but this will happen soon – OTTS has already been issued for the new product.
