Subaru knows exactly how quirky its customers are, which is why it equipped the 2026 Forester Wilderness with a cup holder designed specifically for a Nalgene water bottle.
The iconic 32 ounce, wide mouth bottle has become somewhat of a uniform for Subaru’s outdoorsy clientele, who usually decorate it with a chaotic collage of stickers that quietly announce where someone has hiked, climbed or camped. It’s also famously incompatible with most factory cup holders, which tend to be designed around disposable cups and slim travel mugs.
Subaru could have ignored that reality like every other automaker. Instead, the Forester Wilderness center console was rethought entirely. One slot for a phone. One for a standard drink. And one sized specifically for a Nalgene. Rear seat passengers get the same consideration, which suggests this was not a gimmick dreamed up by marketing, but a genuine design choice that survived the engineering process.
That alone would have been enough to make enthusiasts smile. But it also fits into a larger interior story Subaru is telling with the Wilderness trim.
Leather has been replaced with StarTex upholstery, a polyurethane based material that is water resistant, durable and animal free. It’s easier to clean, harder to damage and far better suited for muddy gear, wet dogs and the general chaos that comes with actually using a vehicle outdoors. In other words, it pairs perfectly with a giant water bottle sloshing around up front.
Of course, Subaru also happens to sell its own branded 32 ounce Nalgene bottle. At that point, the design choice feels less like a novelty and more like brand self awareness done right.
In short, Subaru’s Nalgene-size cup holder shows innovation isn’t always about screens or software. Sometimes it’s just about knowing exactly what your customers are carrying with them every single day, and making space for it.
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