Yahoo Autos 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness takes the hatchback to literal new heights
It was only a matter of time until Subaru did this, right? The Subaru Crosstrek is a stalwart in both Subaru’s lineup and the whole subcompact crossover shebang. Moving more than 140,000 units last year alone, Subaru's baby crossover outsells the Impreza hatchback it is based on nearly 3-to-1. The Crosstrek is already one of the more modified vehicles out there, with lift kits, chunky tires, and other goodies commonly installed onto the subcompact crossover for drivers in search of more off-road utility and capability. Well, Subaru is now getting into the game. Enter the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness — a factory version of what many Crosstrek owners have been doing to their vehicles all along.
Like the equivalent Outback and Forester, the Crosstrek Wilderness trim gains a smorgasbord of off-road elements, adding capability and toughness. However, the Wilderness trims on the Outback and Forester were conceived after much of their development was already done. For the latest Impreza and Crosstrek, Subaru's engineers benefited from knowing early on that Wilderness was part of the game plan.
“We were able to get a little crazy this time,” said Garrick Goh, carline planning manager for Subaru. Consequently, Subaru's engineers say, the Crosstrek's Wilderness trim is the Wilderness-est of them all, with substantial changes to both its exterior styling and running gear.
Superficially, the Crosstrek's exterior cladding and gold accents align with what we've seen on the Outback and Forester, but if you look a bit more closely, the wilds have encroached a bit more on the Crosstrek's sheetmetal. The rubberized plastic takes up most of the front fender, much of the lower portion of the doors, and the rear of the car. The rear bumper has Subaru script embossed into the plastic, giving the whole rear of the car a slightly retro yet aggressive feel. The unique grille is the most aggressive yet for the growing Wilderness family.
