Subaru Forester in new colors and upgraded safety technology for the mid-cycle facelift
Subaru unveiled the fifth generation Forester in March 2018, and with product life cycles shortened, it’s no wonder the Enhanced Edition has now made its way to the Japanese home. The compact crossover hasn’t changed much, and noticeably the more recent change is at the front, as Subaru is equipped with redesigned headlights, featuring a straighter design.
The Subaru Forester’s front bumper paid a visit to a plastic surgeon’s office, where it acquired a bulge just below the reshaped headlight, which necessitated an increase in the grille that is larger than before, but features a flat, U-shaped pattern. Additionally, the Subaru Forester has been sported with metallic trim surrounding the emblem Subaru. Depending on the trim level, round and vertical fog lights were given, and all lanterns were fitted with LED lights.
Only one image shows the rear end so far, probably because the Forester brought it to our attention with some tweaks to the backlight graphics during mid-cycle updates, but the rear kits look identical to those on the pre-facelift. But Subaru introduces new 18-inch wheels, Subaru has added three new colors, Green Metallic, Cascada, and Brilliant Bronze Metallic (Autumn Green Metallic, Cascade Green Silica and Brilliant Bronze Metallic) and in the domestic version of the improved crossover, it comes in Touring, X-Break and Advance and Sport.
New and old in the interior of the Subaru Forester
Entering the cabin, the 2022 Subaru Forester in the Land of the Rising Sun is much the same as before, but with new upholstery options. In addition, the self-vision technology called EyeSight has been upgraded with a wider camera angle, and the stereo system has been upgraded, introducing an improved and better software. Subaru has also made changes to the suspension system for all models to enhance comfort, while Active Electronic Shift Control is now available on all versions equipped with the e-Boxer Hybrid engine.
Subaru is already accepting pre-orders for the JDM-spec Forester and we expect a North American equivalent version for 2022 to be revealed in the coming weeks. A prototype was spotted on US soil in December 2020, so its official appearance will likely happen sooner rather than later.
We’re hoping the US-spec Subaru Forester will get a 1.8-liter turbocharged petrol engine available in Japan on the Sport version, with 174 horsepower (130 kW) and 221 pound-feet (300 Nm) of torque. That the Subaru Forester enjoys 45 lb-ft (61 Nm) of torque from the old 2.5-liter engine, and enjoys better low-end response thanks to forced induction.
It has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $25,195, plus a destination charge. The new-for-2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness starts just below $33k. And the top Touring trim is $35,295, which is about as much as anyone can spend on a new Forester, since all the usual extras come as standard in this model.
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