The Subaru Outback Wilderness is a more rugged take on the 6th gen model.
The Subaru Outback was one of my favourite long-distance cruisers. However, its pricing and positioning in Malaysia just didn’t make sense, so it disappeared from our market pretty quickly. In the U.S., it continues to be a popular SUV, and even got renewed for a 6th generation. They’ve now given this 6th generation model a more rugged variant known as the Outback Wilderness. And yes, it’s more than just bit of additional trim.
The Outback Wilderness Trim
The theme of the Subaru Outback Wilderness centres around an Anodised Copper finish, which can be found throughout the exterior and interior against an exclusive Geyser Blue body colour. You’ll find Anodised Copper near the tow hook anchor points and roof rail tie-down points.
Outside, the Outback Wilderness has a few new body kit additions, including new front and rear bumpers, a new hexagonal grille, new wheel arch cladding, a front skid plate and new hexagonal shaped LED foglights. There’s also a hood decal with a matte to reduce glare to the driver. window trim and exterior badges are finished in black.
Inside, it can be found applied on the gear selector, meter rings and steering wheel. Contrast stitching in a similar copper shade has been added to the upholstery. The StarTex-wrapped seats feature a new “Subaru Wilderness” logo in their headrests.
The headliner is darker than standard and chrome touch points have been finished in Gunmetal Grey instead. The pedals are also finished with brushed aluminium pieces. All-weather floor mats, waterproof materials on the seat backs and a waterproof cargo tray in the boot all add the the Outback’s rugged appeal. There’s also a digital animation showing the “Subaru Wilderness” logo upon startup.
Performance improvements
The Subaru Outback Wilderness is actually mechanically different to the standard model. ride height has been increased by nearly an inch versus the standard model. It now stands with 9.5 inches of ground clearance. The suspension has been tuned for better stability on rough terrain – it now has longer front and rear shock absorbers and springs.
The approach angle has been extended to 20.0 degrees (up from 18.6) and ramp breakover is now 21.2 degrees (up from 19.4) and departure angle is now at 23.6 degrees (up from 21.7).
There’s a new rear differential with a final drive ratio of 4.44:1, with a revised CVT achieving the same final drive ratio at the front wheels. This allows the Outback Wilderness to climb grades up to 40% on gravel.
An additional pressure sensor controls the accuracy of X-Mode at lower speeds. X-Mode also now has an advanced feature that automatically switches from low speed managed driving to higher speeds without interruption of power or performance.
The Outlander Wilderness also comes with Yokohama GEOLANDAR all-terrain tyres on matte black 17″ alloy wheels. The tyres come with raised white letters to pay homage to the original Outlander.
There’s also a more utilitarian fixed ladder-type roof rack system.
