2022 Subaru Forester arrives with PHP 2.068M SRP

Last year, Subaru revealed the refreshed Forester, and the design changes were quite extensive. It features Subaru’s new design language first seen on the Levorg. There was no word at the time, but we expected Motor Image Pilipinas, the Philippine distributor of Subaru vehicles, to offer the crossover as soon as possible.

Half a year later, it seems the 2022 Forester is now in the Philippines. If you visit some of the Subaru showrooms, you might see it on display already. However, the vehicle has yet to be officially launched locally. That will happen at the 2022 Manila International Auto Show slated for April.

Compared to the outgoing model, the refreshed Forester looks more aggressive. The headlights have been replaced by larger units that look similar to the ones found on the Levorg. These also incorporate large C-shaped LED daytime running lights. The grille is also wider than before, while the bumper has been reshaped to make the SUV look more modern.

The rest of the body appears to be relatively unchanged. At the rear, the bumper has been restyled and now comes with a larger pair of reflectors. Rounding up the exterior changes are the new 18-inch wheels.

The powertrain in the 2022 Forester will be carried over from the outgoing model with no changes being made. That said, the crossover uses the same 2.0-liter flat-four that produces 156 horsepower and 196 Nm torque. It is then paired to a Lineartronic CVT and Subaru’s Symmetrical all-wheel drive. Unfortunately, there’s no confirmation whether the turbo 1.8-liter mill from the Japan-spec Forester will be available locally.

Instead of a new engine, the highlight of the 2022 Forester is the new EyeSight 4.0 system, similar to the one in the Outback. It now features automatic lane centering and lane departure prevention on top of the current range of functions like autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and more. The system’s pre-collision braking has also been upgraded and is now capable of detecting neighboring lanes aside from its own.

For now, there is only one variant of the 2022 Forester, and it’s the 2.0i-S EyeSight. The price remains unchanged from the outgoing model at PHP 2,068,000. Best of all, there’s even an introductory discount of PHP 50,000. Interested? Visit the Subaru dealership near you. They might have a unit on display already.