What happens when you Outback-ify a Subaru Outback?
The original Outback took a Legacy wagon, raised it up and added plastic body cladding.
Now, with the Legacy gone, an all-new standard Outback gets further raised and emboldened to create the latest Outback Wilderness. It basically has body cladding on its body cladding.
This Outback Wilderness gets a blocky, in-your-face design that dials up existing Subaru themes while also “borrowing” other off-road focused aesthetics. The front grille has SUBARU written across it in huge capital letters, which is reminiscent of the FORD grille on the F-150 Raptor. Meanwhile, the rear window design here evokes that of a Land Rover Defender.
Prominent Subaru Wilderness badges can be found all over the place and there are also anodized copper-finish accents aplenty, both inside and out. This one looks rugged in Deep Emerald Green Pearl paint with a black synthetic leather interior. All-terrain tires and matte black wheels complete the look.
Despite the off-road focus, the ride is surprisingly compliant on the road, thanks to new electronically controlled dampers, which Subaru specifically pointed out to me. This moves well thanks to a turbo four-cylinder engine. A fold-out thigh support pad on the driver’s seat was welcomed by my achy right leg, brought on by my ill-advised foray into dads’ soccer games. I was also pleased to see physical buttons for things like the heat, air conditioning and heated and cooled seats.
This Outback Wilderness, with some options, comes to $50,930 after shipping. While it’s gotten noticeably pricey, this specialized Outback is also more expressive and more capable than ever.
