When the Subaru crew showed off the original Crosstrek, it was a lifted and ruggedized version of the Impreza. Now, they’re introducing a Wilderness trim of that vehicle, a – you guessed it – lifted and ruggedized version of the Crosstrek.

This means they’ve Crosstrek’d the Crosstrek.

Brands are generally quick to mine any shred of good juju gathered by a new trim or sub-brand (witness Denali as the prime example), which is exactly the route Subaru is taking with their Wilderness trim. First appearing a couple of model years ago on the Outback, it has since spread to other models and finally showed up on the Crosstrek.

Touted as the most rugged (there’s that word again!) and trail-capable variant of the Crosstrek, this iteration packs 9.3 inches of ground clearance which is more than a half-inch greater than other Crosstrek models. Longer coil springs and shock absorbers provide the added ground clearance, while yawning travel strokes in all shock absorbers should help keep the Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tires in contact with rough surfaces. Better dampening compression is said to smooth things out in terms of ride quality as well.

The approach angle is increased from 18 degrees in other trims to 20 degrees the angle of departure is up by a similar amount to 33.0 degrees, and breakover angle climbs from 19.7 to 21.1 degrees. Programmers have also fettled the all-wheel drive system, giving it X-Mode capabilities and hill descent control.

Outside, the Crosstrek Wilderness incorporates the visual addenda of its brothers, including larger cladding on the wheel arches and a smattering of yellow/gold accents. Geyser Blue, shown here, is a Wilderness special, as are those hex-design LED fog lights and matte hood decal. Knowing its customer base, this car is capable of bearing 700 pounds of static load on its ladder-type roof rack, making it a potential perch for certain rooftop tents. The cabin wears water-resistant upholstery, a rear cargo tray for yer muddy boots, and a bit of extra lighting for nighttime activities.

The 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness will begin arriving in Subaru retailers later this year. Look for a price tag of $33,290 including destination.

[Images © 2023 Chris Tonn/TTAC]

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