Yahoo Autos 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness literally takes the wagon to new heights
MALIBU, Calif. — About half a century ago, a power company fleet manager wandered into a Subaru dealership in northern Japan. Searching for a vehicle for servicing electrical lines across the region’s mountainous and snowy terrain, the manager eventually talked Subaru into building the world’s first four-wheel-drive wagon.
That wagon begat generations of surprisingly capable successors, and it could be argued that one of them, the lifted AWD wagon known as the 1994 Outback, kicked off the modern CUV craze. Fast forward to today and the current Subaru Outback is bigger and more crossover than ever, catering to outdoorsy families who recognize how useful its distinctive capabilities can be for their adventures. Still, there are some outdoorsy families who like traveling further out back into the hinterlands than others. They're the folks who have already been lifting their Outbacks further and putting more aggressive rubber on them. The new 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness is for them.
Beyond just a trim level, the Outback Wilderness is the first offering in a new Subaru sub-brand. It will be to overlanders and vanlifers what STI is to canyon-carving speed demons. Right away, it’s apparent that the Wilderness is more rugged than a standard-issue Outback but, crucially, it’s much more than an appearance package.
The Outback Wilderness increases ground clearance over the Outback by 0.8 inches, from 8.7 to 9.5. That's seriously tall. Along with it comes more suspension travel and a slightly wider track thanks to exclusive matte black 17 x 7.0 alloys. The tough-looking 225/65-R17 Yokohama Geolandar All-Terrains that accompany them even sport raised white letters as a throwback to the original Outback.
Along with the suspension, redesigned bumpers help the Wilderness travel further off the beaten path. The approach angle improves by 1.4 degrees to an even 20, the ramp breakover angle increases by 1.8 degrees to 21.2, and the departure angle grows by 1.9 degrees to 23.6. None of these additions are enough to make it much of a rock crawler (Jeep's Cherokee and Grand Cherokee are still better, as is the Ford Bronco Sport), but they are nevertheless significant increases over the regular Outback and further builds its off-roading advantage over more soft-roading crossovers like the Honda CR-V and basic Toyota RAV4. In addition, bumper corners are beveled to help slip by obstructions while turning.
Wilderness models build upon Onyx models, which means the turbocharged 2.4-liter boxer comes standard. The delivery of its 260 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 277 lb-ft of torque at 2,000 rpm through a CVT smooth and lag-free, and there’s no reason not to expect the same here. Although the output remains unchanged, Wilderness drivers may notice more low-end torque, a result of an increased final drive ratio from 4.11:1 to 4.44:1. Subaru says this allows the vehicle to climb grades up to 40% on a gravel surface. As a result, fuel economy does suffer a bit, though, dropping to 22 mpg city and 26 mpg highway (versus 23 mpg city and 30 mpg highway). The all-terrain tires and higher ride height almost certainly contribute to that drop as well.
