The Subaru Forester’s Safety Arsenal: Smart, Sharp, Uncompromising

The Subaru Forester doesn’t shout for your attention. It doesn’t need to. It earns it with clever confidence, like a seasoned local who knows exactly which gravel pass leads to the best hidden beach.

And while most SUVs talk tough, the Forester quietly packs some of the most advanced, road-ready safety systems in the game. This isn’t just a vehicle that’s aware of its surroundings. It’s actively protecting you from them, in real time. No fuss, no flash, just instinctive capability.

Subaru’s Safety Pedigree

Before “driver-assist” became an industry buzzword, Subaru was already testing how to keep people safer in real cars under real conditions. The brand’s obsession with safety innovation is baked into every chassis, from Joburg’s highways to the backroads of Mpumalanga.

EyeSight. DriverFocus. Reverse automatic braking. The tech names might sound clinical, but what they offer is beautifully simple. More confidence behind the wheel.

What the Forester Does Best: Look Out for You

• Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
  Forget spinning wheels and fishtails. This system distributes power where it’s needed, keeping the vehicle balanced, locked in, and composed even when the road is anything but.
• EyeSight Driver Assist
  A kind of digital sixth sense. Two cameras track the road ahead and step in if another driver doesn’t. Lane drift, sudden stops, or a vehicle cutting in too close, EyeSight responds with calm precision when it counts.
• DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation
  DriverFocus watches your face and nudges you back to reality if it senses you’re, well, somewhere else. It’s subtle, it’s smart, and it’s one of those features you don’t realise you need until you have it.
• Blind-Spot Detection and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
  Because you shouldn’t have to guess what’s behind you. With these systems, the Forester keeps track of what your mirrors miss. Especially handy when reversing out of tight parking lots or merging on the N1.
• Reverse Automatic Braking
  It’s like having someone grab the handbrake just before you back into that low concrete post you didn’t see. If an obstacle is detected, the car hits the brakes before you do. That’s a proper co-pilot.
• Adaptive Headlights That Steer with You
  When the road bends, your lights bend too. These steering-responsive headlights illuminate exactly where you’re heading, not just what’s straight ahead. Add High Beam Assist, and night driving feels sharp, clear, and easy.

Safety Ratings: Global Respect, Local Relevance

Subaru vehicles consistently earn top safety ratings from leading independent organisations worldwide. The Forester, along with other models like the Outback and Crosstrek, regularly receive 5-star scores from ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program), Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme), and JNCAP (Japan New Car Assessment Program). These 5-star ratings reflect Subaru’s exceptional crashworthiness, structural integrity, and advanced safety features.

Moreover, Subaru frequently secures prestigious designations such as the IIHS Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards in the United States. These honours recognise vehicles that excel not only in crash protection but also in active safety technologies that help prevent accidents. Subaru’s EyeSight Driver Assist system, which includes pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane departure warning, is a key contributor to these accolades.

These rigorous assessments involve simulated frontal, side, and rear crash tests, as well as evaluations of the effectiveness of driver assistance systems. Subaru’s consistently high scores demonstrate a strong commitment to occupant safety and crash avoidance technologies, giving South African drivers added confidence on roads that can be unpredictable and challenging.

Explore more on Subaru’s safety philosophy and why it matters.

Questions South African Drivers Are Asking

Is the Forester a good fit for family safety?
From daily drop-offs to Drakensberg detours, this is a vehicle built to shield, assist, and react. The safety suite isn’t optional. It’s standard.

Which Forester trim offers the most safety tech?
The new Forester. It includes Subaru’s EyeSight Driver Assist Technology, which encompasses adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, and pre-collision braking. The Blind Spot Monitor with Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert enhances awareness during lane changes and reversing. Reverse Automatic Braking helps prevent collisions when backing up by applying the brakes if an obstacle is detected. Also new to the Forester model is the Emergency Driving Stop System (EDSS), which will bring the vehicle to a controlled stop if the driver becomes unresponsive. These features collectively offer a full-circle safety package, providing drivers with confidence on the road.

Can it handle dirt roads and downpours?
With Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and X-Mode traction control, the Forester doesn’t flinch when the tarmac ends or the clouds break.

What makes EyeSight special?
While others use radar, Subaru’s EyeSight uses dual cameras for better depth, detail, and reaction accuracy. That means quicker decisions, fewer near-misses, and an SUV that sees what’s coming even when you don’t.

Compare safety features in more detail right here.

Built for Real Life

Subaru doesn’t believe safety has to be passive. In the Forester, it’s proactive, intuitive, and beautifully integrated. Nothing feels bolted on or over-engineered. It just works. Seamlessly. In the background. Like all the best design does.

If you’re ready to feel what that kind of confidence is like behind the wheel, register your interest in the 2025 Forester or visit your local Subaru dealer. Your next drive could feel a whole lot more grounded.