Kingston, ON – The Subaru Outback is popular for those wanting utility and agility. For 2022, Subaru is launching the new Outback Wilderness, which will provide even more capability for those adventure seekers wishing to travel even more off the beaten path in a mid-size SUV.
Related – Subaru Outback Wilderness Mods: The 17 Off-Road Upgrades to Know
Designed for proper off-roading
The Wilderness starts with new front and rear bumpers that maximize approach and departure angles. Anodized copper accents and Wilderness badging throughout the body make this new trim stand out.
Along with the synonymous cladding, the new trim gets more giant Wilderness-designed wheel arches, and the top now sports a ladder-style roof rail with higher dynamic (moving 100kg/220 lb.) and static load (318 kg/700 lb) capacities, which are enough for one of those trendy rooftop tents.
The Wilderness rests on 17” matte black Wilderness wheels wrapped in Yokohama Geolander A/T tires with a full-size spare and matching rim in the rear.
Inside the new Outback Wilderness
The inside also gets copper accents and is pretty well loaded with standard all-weather heated front and rear seats, heated steering wheel, wireless charging, power sunroof, and an 11.6” center screen with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Along with a standard back-up camera, the Wilderness includes a front camera which is extremely handy for off-road use. Subaru’s Starlink Service and Eyesight is also standard equipment for this trim.
Power and performance
Subaru’s goal when creating the Wilderness was not to make a mud-slinging, rock-crawling 4×4 machine that would see pavement as the enemy but to find that perfect balance and not compromise the comfort and on-road manners of the already excellent Outback.
Press the accelerator on the pavement, and the 260 horsepower 2.4L Turbo-charged engine comes to life, putting down the power through a continuously variable transmission and then to all four wheels with Subaru’s full-time symmetrical All-wheel Drive system. If you haven’t tried this CVT in the Outback, it’s one of the best in the business, and most will think it’s a conventional automatic as it has sharp programmed shift points and is very responsive with little delay.
This transmission’s ratio is 8% lower, allowing for better performance for climbing, but it didn’t seem to have any effect on the street. The chunky Yokohama’s are surprisingly quiet on all street surfaces, and combined with the retuned suspension, the Wilderness provides an extraordinarily plush and dampened ride.
So, how does the 2022 Outback Wilderness perform off-road?
We could put this Outback to the test on a 1.86 mile / 3 km off-road trek a couple of hours out of Kingston, Ontario. The trail was full of large exposed rocks and boulders we drove right over. The Xmode in Snow/Dirt reacted very quickly to apply power and traction to where it was needed, and the suspension on the Wilderness provided 241mm or 9.5” of ground clearance over the rough stuff, if it wasn’t quite enough, the four metal skid plates provided a little insurance (these are standard on Canadian models).
What’s really surprising is how quiet the suspension and the interior is when off road, whether you’re bouncing off rocks or flying down a washboard gravel road. The ride is just as plush off or on road.
What’s surprising is how quiet the suspension and the interior are when off-road, whether you’re bouncing off rocks or flying down a washboard gravel road. The ride is just as plush off or on the road.
The approach, breaker, and departure angle significantly improved over the standard Outback and were tested heading into large watering holes with sudden drop-offs. At one point, the initial wave of water came right over the hood momentarily and then dropped to just over the front bumper. Here’s a quick look at the numbers:
| Spec (degrees) | Outback Wilderness | Outback |
|---|---|---|
| Approach Angle: | 20.0 | 18.6 |
| Ramp Breakover: | 21.2 | 19.4 |
| Departure Angle: | 23.6 | 21.7 |
There were burps and bubbles, but no water ever entered, thank goodness. If it hadn’t been tested prior, I would never have attempted to drive an Outback through such a deep water crossing.
The last challenge was to climb a 300m hill that looked pretty well vertical with big rocks and boulders. For this, we switched the Xmode into Deepsnow/Mud to spin the wheels more, bounce, and roll off some of the loose dirt and rock. This was the biggest eye-opener, and I’m convinced that most people would never attempt this hill after seeing it. I did have some coaching from some spotters on the hill, but the Wilderness did it without a hitch the very first time.
The Subaru Outback Wilderness is now on sale at local Subaru dealerships and is the perfect choice if you’re looking for the most capable Subaru Outback. Check out these other new family SUVs with off-roading in mind.
