Subaru Unveils Fuel Efficient Forester Wilderness Hybrid

The 2027 Subaru Forester Wilderness Hybrid is a new fuel-efficient off-road SUV that combines the attributes of the Forester Hybrid and Forester Wilderness. Introduced at the New York International Auto Show, this new variant gains power and torque to crawl over obstacles, goes quieter to reduce disturbance to natural surroundings, and becomes more efficient to get farther away from civilization.

Powertrain and Fuel Economy

The Forester Wilderness Hybrid uses the Forester Hybrid’s powertrain, which teams a 2.5-liter flat-four engine with two electric motors in the CVT automatic to produce 194 hp, up from the nonhybrid’s 180 hp. All-wheel drive is standard. Subaru says fuel economy should improve by about 25 percent, for estimated figures of 34/30 mpg city/highway, and a full-tank driving range well over 500 miles.

Among other rugged compact SUVs, the 2026 Honda CR-V TrailSport gets 38/33 mpg, and the 2026 Toyota RAV4 Woodland excels with 42/35 mpg, but those have less ground clearance and the RAV4 has an electric-rear-axle, not a mechanical all-wheel-drive system.

Trail-Oriented Hardware and Features

Trail-oriented hardware and features from the regular Forester Wilderness transfer over to the Hybrid. Longer coil springs and shock absorbers, along with 17-inch matte-black wheels wrapped in Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tires, add 0.6 inch of ground clearance to give the Forester Wilderness Hybrid 9.3 inches from dirt to rail, the same as the nonhybrid.

This also increases the approach, departure, and breakover angles, which are now 23.5, 25.5, and 20.6 degrees, respectively. Aluminum underbody skidplates are there for when that ground clearance runs out.

Subaru retuned the suspension slightly to account for weight added by the electrified hardware; the Wilderness Hybrid weighs approximately 275 pounds more than the all-gas Wilderness. Notably, the 1.1-kWh hybrid battery displaces the full-size spare tire included with the standard Forester Wilderness.

Visual and Interior Features

The only visual tell this isn’t a normal Forester Wilderness is a small “Hybrid” script on the exterior badges. As with all Wilderness models, the Forester Hybrid is festooned with gold-hued accents, including on the bumpers and built-in roof rails. Extended black body cladding helps fend off blows from trail obstacles, and a larger grille adds tough presence.

Inside, the Forester Wilderness Hybrid is very similar to its nonhybrid equivalent. Gold details around the cabin continue the exterior theme. Non-leather upholstery and standard all-weather floormats are water-repellent and easy to clean. An 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen runs Subaru’s aging and slow user interface.

Like other Forester Hybrid models, the Wilderness includes an option pack that’s extra on gas-powered equivalents, adding upgrades like a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, 11-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, and power tailgate. With the option pack, a nonhybrid Forester Wilderness costs just over $42,000. On other Forester trims, going hybrid adds roughly $1,700, so expect the 2027 Wilderness Hybrid to start at around $44,000.