2027 Subaru Forester Wilderness Hybrid: A First Look

Daily Car

02/04/2026

Subaru has officially introduced the 2027 Forester Wilderness Hybrid, a model that combines the brand's established off-road package with an electrified powertrain. The vehicle, which debuted at the New York International Auto Show, is designed to offer improved efficiency and power for outdoor and trail use.

Powertrain and Performance

The Forester Wilderness Hybrid is equipped with a 2.5-liter flat-four engine that works in conjunction with two electric motors housed within the CVT automatic transmission. This system generates a combined 194 horsepower, an increase over the 180 horsepower of the non-hybrid version. Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive is standard. The vehicle features a 3.70:1 final drive ratio, aligning it with other Forester Hybrid models. Fuel economy is estimated to improve by approximately 25 percent, with projected figures of 34 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway, allowing for a total driving range of over 500 miles.

Off-Road Specifications

The model retains the core hardware of the standard Forester Wilderness. It features longer coil springs and shock absorbers that, combined with 17-inch wheels and Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tires, provide 9.3 inches of ground clearance. These modifications result in approach, departure, and breakover angles of 23.5, 25.5, and 20.6 degrees, respectively. To handle the added mass of the hybrid components, which increases the vehicle's weight by about 275 pounds, the suspension has been retuned. One significant trade-off is the replacement of the full-size spare tire with the 1.1-kWh hybrid battery pack.

Design and Market Position

Exterior identifiers for the hybrid variant are minimal, consisting of small "Hybrid" badges alongside the usual Wilderness trim elements like gold-hued accents and extended black body cladding. The interior includes water-repellent upholstery and an 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen. When compared to competitors such as the Honda CR-V TrailSport and Toyota RAV4 Woodland, the Forester Wilderness Hybrid offers greater ground clearance and a mechanical all-wheel-drive system. The starting price for the 2027 Forester Wilderness Hybrid is anticipated to be around $44,000, placing it in the upper range of the compact off-road SUV segment.

2026-03-25

The Freelander Returns A New Brand for a New Era

The iconic Freelander name is back, but not as a Land Rover. Get the expert analysis on this new electrified SUV brand from the JLR-Chery partnership.