Subaru’s most popular SUV just got better

It’s been three decades since Subaru started operations in South Africa, and the company is celebrating this milestone by introducing the facelifted version of its most popular SUV here. We’re talking about the updated 2022 Subaru Forester which now comes with a better ride, sharper dynamics, and the latest and innovative Eyesight Version 4.0 driver assistance system (accessible in the flagship model).

The 2022 Subaru Forester is available in four variants with two signature Boxer engines and a Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system. The 2.0-litre can yield 115 kW and 196 Nm of torque, while the 2.5-litre churns out 136 kW and 239 Nm.

The biggest design tweak is in the front design, where the Forester features a more prominent, hexagonal grille and a smaller headlight design, giving the SUV a more dynamic and tougher look.

The grille and front bumper have more black accents near the updated headlight and fog lamp clusters. The new headlights include a host of LED bulbs for enhanced driver sight. These are a part of the Forester Adaptive Headlamps and High Beam Assist facilities.

To distinguish between the Sport and Premium variants, Subaru added distinct design elements starting from the six-bulb LEDs for foglamps in Sport and three chromed horizontal elements for Premium. Similarly, Sport's mirror caps and rear are refined with geometric fineness material, whereas the Premium has chromed mirror covers and a shiny black cover.

The base Forester sports new 17-inch alloy wheels while the Premium gets new 18-inchers in five-spoke, dual-tone style.

In the shade department, Subaru abandoned the Jasper Green Metallic in favour of the new Cascade Green Silica. Other hues remain the same, as you can select from Crimson Red Pearl, Crystal Black Silica, Crystal White Pearl, Horizon Blue Pearl, Ice Silver Metallic, Magnetite Grey Metallic, Sepia Bronze Metallic (for the Premium variants).

For the 2022 Forester Sport, you can select Magnetite Grey Metallic, Ice Silver Metallic, Dark Blue Pearl, Crystal Black Silica, and Crystal White Pearl.

The Subaru Forester’s high-end safety suite is one of its most salient features. For the 2022 model year, the Forester gets the EyeSight (ES) Driver Assist Technology (version 4.0) that is better and enhanced for various driving conditions.

The new dual-camera system almost doubles the field of view, while the updated software is prompter and more intelligent, implementing different EyeSight safety tasks like Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Pre-Collision Braking, Lane Departure, and Sway Warning with improved accuracy.

Furthermore, the EyeSight 4.0 comes with three innovations for active steering inputs. These include Active Lane Centering, Lane Departure Prevention, and Autonomous Emergency Steering.

The ES system also includes Blind Spot Detection technology with Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert as well as Reverse Automatic Braking. The latter employs sensors to identify things and automatically apply full brakes if you fail to respond in time while reversing.

Thanks to all these advanced safety features, the Forester is one of the safest SUVs in the segment, with 5-star safety grades from all relevant firms.

Below you can find the pricing details for the new 2022 Subaru Forester. (Prices correct at time of publication.)

• 2022 Subaru Forester 2.0i CVT  - R486,000
• 2022 Subaru Forester 2.0i-S ES CVT  - R564,000
• 2022 Subaru Forester 2.5i-Sport ES CVT  - R599,000
• 2022 Subaru Forester 2.5i-S ES CVT  – 649,000

If you’re researching new cars on the market, be sure to check out the MotorHappy blog. Not only will you find other SUVs, but you might be tempted by some of the other types of cars available.

Please note the imagery supplied in this blog was taken off www.subaru.co.za