The well-rounded Subaru Forester is set for a
significant update and will premiere in fifth-generation guise at the 2018 New
York Auto Show on March 28.
The 2019 Forester will be even more advanced and of
course benefit from a visual overhaul. What we know for sure is that the rear of the Forester will adopt new C-shaped taillights.
Camouflaged prototypes spied on the road show that some cues will be shared
with the larger Ascent and like many new cars, the 2019 Forester will be
slightly larger than its predecessor. Bits and pieces from the Viziv Future
Concept will also make their way onto the Forester.
The interior design remains a mystery but as
mentioned, Subaru will upgrade many of the important pieces of tech. At the
heart of these updates will be improvements to the Eyesight system that
includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist and Sway Warning,
Pre-Collision Braking, and Pre-Collision Throttle Management.
The 2019 Forester will be the fourth model in the
range to ride on the Subaru Global Platform, conceived to be used by the firm’s
entire family of models. No matter what Subaru’s decision on electrifying the
Forester is, there will be the typical selection of four-cylinder boxer engines
available to customers alongside a CVT and standard all-wheel drive. We hope
that Subaru will continue to offer the option of a manual gearbox. We’re not
sure at this point if the new Ascent’s 2.4-liter turbo boxer that delivers
260 hp and 277 pound-feet of torque will make it into the new Forester, but
fingers crossed.
As for the 2019 Subaru Forester, it could get a
price hike over the US$ 22,795 commanded by the existing model, possibly
approaching the competition that starts at around US$ 24,000 in the States.
Following its debut in New York, the next Forester will be arriving in
showrooms later in the second half of the year.
