That missing piece of the puzzle is about to be put in place. Subaru has teased the 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness on Instagram (embedded at the bottom of this article), which will debut at the Chicago Auto Show along with one other Subaru model on February 6, 2025.

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 releas

In addition to the redesigned Forester Wilderness, the new Forester Hybrid is also believed to make its debut at the 2025 Chicago Auto Show

A new Subaru Forester Wilderness, based on the sixth-generation model of the standard version, has been leaked by some YouTubers who had their hands on the 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid that's set to hit showrooms during the second half of 2025.

The next-generation Subaru Forester Wilderness has been leaked, giving the sixth-generation SUV a more rugged look and likely greater capability.

Before the videos could be edited, eagle-eyed observers snapped screenshots and posted them to Reddit and Instagram, among other places. Thanks to their quick action, we can see the crossover will be getting an aggressive makeover that includes a silver skid plate and a new front bumper that thinks plastic is fantastic.

For Subaru lovers abound, the Forester is no secret. Its long history boasts tremendous loyalty and for good reason.