INTERIOR

The cabin of the Subaru Forester has been created with with high-quality, soft-touch materials and contrast stitching throughout, along with leather interiors on higher specification models. There’s even more room in the new Forester, offering exceptional passenger comfort.

The second row also now comes A/C vents and USB points to bring front seat comfort to every passenger. Other convenience features include rear seat pockets designed to fit smartphones and tablets alike. In similar fashion, the boot features a wide-opening lid and a low sill for ease of loading into the 520-litre, boot. The boot space can be increased to 1 770-litres by flipping the switches either from the side of the boot opening panel or on top of the seatbacks themselves. The motorised bootlid can also be raised and lowered in just over 3-seconds, one of the fastest and therefore most convenient in the segment. Careful consideration has also been given to the materials used in the boot – an easy-to-clean yet aesthetically pleasing texture that is also used on the lower bumpers and wheel well cladding. The S and ES Forester derivatives are fitted with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system that includes AUX, Bluetooth connectivity as well as the use of Apple CarPlay / Android Auto through the USB-A ports in the front. Also included in ES and Sport models there are electrically-adjustable front seats, automatic climate control, a sunroof and rain-sensing wipers to name just a few of the features. Forester is a full house vehicle.

ENGINE & PERFORMANCE

The Subaru Forester range consists of a direct injection 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre Boxer® Engines. These engines are mated to a lightweight Lineartronic® CVT transmission with shift paddles behind the steering wheel for stepped / manual control.

The 2.5-litre engine delivers 136kW of power, an additional 21kW over the 2.0-litre engine. Maximum torque is 239Nm, an increase of 43Nm over the 2.0-litre.
The Forester features the Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-Drive) function that allows the driver to select a more efficient driving programme or something a little more sporty. The SI-Drive system will recalibrate the engine mapping to deliver the desired output. In Sport mode, the 2.5 Forester will accelerate from 0 – 100km/h in 9,3-seconds.
The 2.5-litre remains as efficient as ever delivering 8.3l/100km on the combined cycle with the 2.0-litre model delivering an impressive 7.6l/100km on the combined cycle. CO2 emissions are 193g/km.

TECHNOLOGY

The balanced design of Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive™ ensures stability and optimal distribution of power for maximum traction in almost any weather or road conditions.

With 220mm of ground clearance, advanced X-mode with Hill Descent Control, you can get to and from of almost any destination. X-Mode optimises the AWD system for maximum traction on slippery surfaces. Active Torque Vectoring also available in the Forester for safer and more controlled cornering. The Subaru Boxer® Engine is placed low in the engine bay and this means a lower centre of gravity for impeccable handling and a smoother drive.

SAFETY

For Subaru, safety begins from the ground up. It starts with the new Subaru Global Platform, one of the qualities of which is a better Ring-Shaped Reinforcement Frame that better disperses energy in a collision for reduced risk to passengers. Added to this, the engine and gearbox are designed to be pushed below the vehicle during a frontal collision instead of crashing into the cabin.

Forester also benefits from no less than seven Airbags: 2 front airbags, 2 side airbags, 2 curtain airbags and 1 driver’s knee airbag. Of primary concern to Subaru however, is to reduce the number of collisions that happen in the first place and in this area of Primary safety, the Forester sets new benchmarks once again.

Forester delivers class-leading all-round visibility with fewer blind spots throughout the cabin than ever before.

The A-pillars are thinner with more use of window glass. The C-pillars too have been designed to ensure a larger window behind the rear seats for maximum visibility.

Within the cabin, new Forester now comes with an automatic mirror tilt-down function when the driver engages reverse gear.

This assists with viewing blind-spots while reversing and parking. But it isn’t just exterior visibility that has improved, but interior visibility also plays a key role in the Primary safety of this car.

It’s in the layout of the instrument clusters and Multi-Function Displays which are all designed in full colour to be easily readable, understandable and easy to operate.

The multi-function steering wheel too, is there to assist driver’s to focus on the road ahead without getting distracted.

A more advanced version of EyeSight Driver Assist Technology is introduced to the MY2022 Subaru Forester. The new system delivers all-round improvement for use under a wider array of conditions and environments. Together with improved software, the system is faster and more intuitive, working to deploy the myriad EyeSight safety functions such as Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Pre-Collision Braking, Lane Departure and Sway Warning with even better precision. The system now works with better efficiency at intersections, where accidents frequently occur.

Also offered with EyeSight 4.0 are three new technologies that employ active steering inputs:

Active Lane Centering works within the Adaptive Cruise Control function to ensures the vehicle remains in the centre of the lane. This reduces driver fatigue. When the system is active, the driver’s Multi-Function Display as well as the Information Display screen show the Active Tracking graphics, depicting the system at work.

Lane Departure Prevention assists in keeping the vehicle within the correct lane by actively steering back into the correct lane.

Autonomous Emergency Steering works as an accident prevention function and can steer the vehicle to avoid an accident, be it a pedestrian, another vehicle or a cyclist. Autonomous Emergency Steering sometimes works in conjunction with the Emergency braking function but can also work when the system deems emergency braking is not adequate to reduce the severity of a collision.

ES or EyeSight-equipped Forester’s also include Blind Spot Detection technology with Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Alert as standard features. Reverse Automatic Braking is also included on EyeSight-equipped models, a system which uses sensors to detect objects and can automatically stop the vehicle if the driver does not take evasive action in time while reversing.

ES-spec Foresters remain the safest vehicles in their class with the highest 5-star safety ratings across all global safety ratings agencies. EyeSight contributes significantly to Forester safety, but even base-spec Subaru Foresters are loaded with ground-up safety technology and engineering that still keeps them in the 5-star safety rating standard.

ACCESSORIES

Subaru Southern Africa has tailored a number of accessories to suit your specific lifestyle. These are Subaru approved and fitted within our Subaru network before you take delivery of your new or pre-owned car or even after you have taken ownership and realise the need for some accessories thereafter. Simply chat to us to book a fitment at one of our dealers / service centres nationwide.