Delayed sixth generation Forester is expected to continue with the tried-and-tested combination of the normally aspirated Boxer flat-four engine matched to a CVT.
Announced at the beginning of July as coming to South Africa, Subaru has officially confirmed the all-new Forester as making its public debut at the Kyalami Festival of Motoring at the end of this month.
The local arm’s most important model, as its most recent introductions were the turbocharged Outback XT and XV in 2023, the internally named SL Forester will finally be unveiled on local soil two years after premiering globally at the Los Angeles International Auto Show.
What to expect?
Teased on Subaru South Africa’s Instagram page, with only the date of reveal being disclosed, the Forester will ride on what Subaru claims is a stiffer version of the Global Platform, with dimensional gains on the overall length and width fronts.
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Measuring 1 730 mm high and 2 670 mm long wheelbase-wise, the Forester’s mentioned measurement gains amount to 30 mm in overall and 13 mm in terms of width, which amounts to 4 655 mm and 1 828 mm respectively.
Said to offer between 318 and 2 106-litres of boot space, the Forester’s interior will incorporate the new 11.6-inch Starlink infotainment system, as well as the brand’s latest EyeSight safety and driver assistance system.
Despite no exact spec details being divulged, based on the items available in the United States, expect the Forester to feature electric, ventilated and heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, hands-free electric tailgate, a wireless smartphone charger and LED headlights.
Of the safety system expected is a 360-degree surround-view camera system, Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Steering Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring, Driver Attention Alert, Lane Keep Assist, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Rear Exit Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Alert with Reverse Automatic Braking.
Up front
Up front, the Forester looks set to retain the venerable normally aspirated 2.5-litre flat-four Boxer, which comes in two outputs; 132kW/241Nm in the United States and 136kW/247Nm in Australia.
For comparison, the same unit currently outputs 136kW/239Nm in the South African-market version.
A revised Lineartronic CVT will again be entrusted with sending the amount of twist to all four wheels through Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive system.
More soon
Priced from R699 000 to R780 000, the introduction of the new Forester will come with a price bump projected to be around the R720 000 to R750 000 mark.
However, nothing has yet been approved and will only be confirmed come the official Festival of Motoring media day on 28 August.
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