MIAS 2023: Subaru Forester GT Edition launched in PH

After being launched in the ASEAN region at the Singapore Motor Show back in January, Motor Image Pilipinas has brought back to the country a more stylish package for its refreshed compact crossover, the Forester.

Making its public debut at the 2023 Manila International Auto Show is the Subaru Forester GT Edition. As it was with previous iterations, the GT Edition for 2023 brings a plethora of exterior upgrades to improve the Forester's overall styling. The kit was designed in collaboration with Masahiko “Jack” Kobayashi, former Chief Designer (Head of Global Advanced Design Studio) at Subaru Corporation and Giken Co. Ltd.

The 2023 Forester GT Edition features a four-piece aero kit that consists of a front bumper lip extension, side skirts, roof spoiler, and rear bumper lip extension. Furthermore, it also comes with a new set of 18-inch alloys with a “GT” logo on the center caps.

Inside, the GT Edition gets sports diamond-quilted leather seats that Subaru says were inspired by European grand tourers. To add to the vehicle's exclusivity, Subaru put in an embossed “GT Edition” logo on the sides.

While the Forester GT Edition at the Singapore Motor Show had an e-Boxer hybrid engine, the Philippine-spec version still has a pure combustion powerplant under the hood. The naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter, boxer-four unit puts out 156 PS and 196 Nm of torque, transmitting power to all four wheels via a Lineartronic CVT and Subaru's patented symmetrical all-wheel-drive system.

In terms of advanced driving features, the 2023 Forester GT Edition likewise gets the latest EyeSight 4.0 system like the rest of the Forester variants. Features include autonomous emergency braking, autonomous emergency steering system, blind spot indicators and rear cross traffic alert, among others.

So what's the retail on one of these? Subaru is selling the GT Edition for PHP 2,298,000, some PHP 130,000 more than the standard Forester 2.0i EyeSight.

Motor Image Pilipinas has the 2023 Forester GT Edition on display together with the rest of the Subaru lineup this weekend at the Manila International Auto Show, which will run from April 13 to 16, 2023.