Subaru Forester Wilderness teased again, gets September 2 release date

Subaru has released a few more fleeting glimpses of the new Forester Wilderness across their social media channels. They've also given us a reveal date on when we can expect the Forester's more rugged brother: September 2.

For the record, Subaru is still only coyly referring to it as the next Wilderness model, even though we know full well it's going to be the Forester. If the spy shots, original teaser and the EPA's subsequent leak weren't enough, Subaru's own teaser released this morning clearly shows the taillight and rear profile of a Forester. If you squint, you can even make out the word "Forester" along the side skirt in the Wilderness's signature copper highlight color.

However, the new teasers also confirm that the Forester Wilderness will have many of the special features we saw on the Outback Wilderness. Based on a closeup of the nose Subaru posted to Twitter, we can see a new grille that eschews the chrome ornamentation of the regular Forester. Instead, we get a new grid of interlocking black hexagons like the Outback Wilderness.

That image, along with a video posted to YouTube, show a new, more rugged bumper with integrated fog lamps. It's black rather than body colored, and if the Outback Wilderness is anything to go by, it'll allow the vehicle to have an improved approach angle. One thing the bumper seems to lack are copper colored covers to which one can affix a tow hook, as the Outback Wilderness has.

From this video and another clip posted to Twitter, we can confirm that the Forester Wilderness Will also have matching black wheel arch cladding and side skirts as well, to give the car a more rugged countenance. The Outback Wilderness had exclusive shocks, springs, wheels and tires to raise the ride height by 0.8 inches. It's hard to say for certain whether the Forester Wilderness rides any higher, as the videos show it jostling about on trails, but we wouldn't bet against it.

Speaking of wheels and tires, the Forester Wilderness appears to get new black five-spokes. Like the Outback Wilderness, those rims are wrapped in white-lettered Yokohama Geolandar A/T tires, a throwback to the original Outback and which should provide for added clawing ability.

We suspect the Forester — along with the new WRX — were supposed to be unveiled today at the New York International Auto Show. Subaru was scheduled for two press conferences. But, with the event abruptly canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Subaru has chosen to move the reveals. The Forester Wilderness will debut September 2, and a Subaru spokesperson has told Autoblog that the WRX will also debut in early September.