Could Subaru be going to even greater extremes than the Outback X?

UPGRADED X ingredients implemented into the new Outback releasing next month to improve its off-road ability could yet be a halfway spot – with news of Subaru now developing extra-rugged Wilderness version of this model and the Forester. 

The brand’s New Zealand distributor is treading warily in fuelling talk about the models’ potential for production.

However, local brand boss Wallis Dumper has offered that, were such variants to become available, he’d been keen to have ‘em.

Outback and Forester’s good reputation for muck resistance has been core to them developing strong followings from adventure-minded customers, he reminds.

Any additional elements that can build on that have to be worth considering.

“ … if these US predictions are real, then yes,” he said when asked if he had any interest in accepting variants with conceivably even more off-road ability than the present products provide. 

“An even more rugged Outback or Forester would certainly capture this (NZ) buyer group’s attention.”

Publication yesterday by US website Autoblog showing what it says is the enhanced Outback edition caught during road trials leave little doubt that something is up. Quite literally.

Additionally-elevated ride height appears to be one of the giveaways for the Wilderness editions, notwithstanding that the regular model is already quite lofty.

Autoblog also noted styling changes to the model’s front, with a front bumper reprofiled to improve the approach angle. The car also appears to have a bone fide heavy duty skid plate and is on tyres with more aggressive tread cuts than the usual Bridgestone Duelers.

Despite the camouflage, some particularly aggressive wheel arches seem evident.

The rear bumper looks a bit more tucked in, similar to the front bumper, probably both for looks and a slightly better departure angle.

 There’s an apparent restyling effort at the front, with a single centre grille opening, wich has a large open mesh, with chunky round LED fog lights on either side; these contributing to a more aggressive look. Another interesting addition to the front is a matte black stripe on the bonnet, suggesting the Outback Wilderness may get some unique graphics, the site suggests.

Autoblog believes the Outback Wilderness and a Forester counterpart will be production around April, with sales starting in North America by the third quarter of this year.

What could that conceivably mean for us?

Dumper says it’s important to remember that NZ-market Subarus come from Japan; whereas a plant in North America supplies the US and Canada. And, of course, those are left-hand drive models. 

“We would be in boots and all if we can get them for our market out of Japan.

“They could be the perfect follow on to the 2021 Outback launch we have planned for February.”

The new model line implements an updated X-Mode selectable terrain response system that provisioned in the current Outback X, a new edition that arrived just last year to pep up interest as the current car entered its final production phase.

The improved X-mode combines driver-selectable drive modes for terrain and weather management with differential locks and hill descent control to simplify and improve capability on non-optimal driving surfaces.

Forester has had this system since launch.

The new Outback is larger than the 2020 car and carries more drive assist tech. It has been on sale Stateside for more than 12 months, with the world getting its first look when it was revealed at the 2019 Detroit motor show. North America achieving a head start has long been a Subaru practice and reflects that the US and Canada are by far the brand’s most important and highest volume markets.

The recipe is highly familiar: A high-riding wagon powered by a flat-four petrol engine, married to a constantly variable transmission and always driving all four wheels, with styling that is very derivative of the outgoing car’s look, though the body is slightly larger and roomier and the car bases on a new underpinning, the Subaru Global Platform (SGP) that debuted with the latest Impreza.

Subaru NZ is calling it “the biggest, safest, most luxurious and technologically advanced Outback ever.”