- Subaru has teased the 2026 Forester Wilderness, ahead of its debut at the Chicago Auto Show.
- The model, leaked earlier this month, has unique bumpers, a lifted suspension, and meaty tires.
- The company will also introduce a second new SUV, which is presumably the Forester Hybrid.
The Detroit Auto Show was a snoozefest and it appears the once prestigious event will be surpassed by the Chicago Auto Show. While that used to be unthinkable, Subaru will use the event to introduce two new SUVs.
While the automaker is playing coy, there’s little doubt the company will unveil the new Forester Hybrid and Forester Wilderness. The latter is all but official as Subaru released a teaser image showing a Wilderness badge.
More: 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness Leaked
Of course, it won’t be much of a surprise as YouTubers have already leaked it. Thanks to their carelessness, we know the Forster Wilderness will be given a plastic fantastic makeover that includes chunky cladding and new bumpers. They’ll be joined by a silver skid plate, a lifted suspension, and unique wheels.
Both the Forster Wilderness and Forster Hybrid are expected to have an eco-friendly powertrain that consists of a 2.5-liter engine, two electric motors, and a 1.1 kWh battery pack. This setup produces a combined output of 194 hp (145 kW / 197 PS).
If the Wilderness doesn’t go the hybrid route, it will have a 2.5-liter four-cylinder boxer engine that produces 180 hp (134 kW / 183 PS) and 178 lb-ft (241 Nm) of torque. On the mainstream variant, it’s connected to a Lineartronic continuously variable transmission and a standard all-wheel drive system with an available X-Mode.
