Planet-exclusive Subaru Forester Gallery...click to enlarge
The 2020 Subaru Forester is on sale now at Planet Subaru.
Subaru introduces an all-new Forester every five years (with a "mid-cycle refresh" in the fourth year). The generation on sale now was introduced for the 2019 model year. Subaru makes very few changes in the second year of the product cycle because the car is still contemporary and state-of-the-art.
Published changes for 2020:
- Foresters already came standard with the award-winning Subaru EyeSight Driver Assist Technology, but now they get a Lane Centering function and new Lane Departure Prevention.
- For the first time, Foresters include Rear Seat Reminder. Designed to help prevent child and/or pet entrapment, the system will alert the driver to check the rear seat before exiting the vehicle.
- Foresters now get LED license plate lights which will last a lot longer than the incandescents they replace.
Read on for all the significant changes they made last year for the 2019 model:
Highlights:
Highlights:
- Roomiest, most capable Forester to date
- Standard EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology on every model
- Built on Subaru's new Global Platform for crashworthiness, quietness, and agility
- Available new segment-exclusive DriverFocus safety technology
- Updated 2.5-liter SUBARU BOXER® engine with 33mpg highway (estimated)
- New Sport model with unique exterior and interior
- Standard Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
Now to the details:
 | Bigger and better: The wheelbase increased to 105.1 in. from 103.9 in., with the gain benefiting rear seat legroom, which is now 39.4-in., a 1.4-in. increase. Gains in headroom, hip and shoulder room further bolster passenger comfort and a feeling of spaciousness in the cabin. Wider rear door openings and a steep C-pillar angle make ingress/egress and installing a child seat easier. |
 | Interior changes: The material used for the cargo area floor, sides and rear gate interior trim offer a textured surface to resist dirt. Pockets on the front seatbacks are now divided to more easily organize items such as magazines and electronic devices. The roomiest Forester cabin yet is also the quietest, thanks to the Subaru Global Platform's inherent resistance to noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). Road noise is significantly reduced and Subaru has worked to tune out certain frequencies to make conversation or listening to music at highway speeds more comfortable. |
 | More Comfortable: Forester's interior has been designed for both greater passenger comfort and increased durability in everyday and recreational usage. New front seats, are constructed to enhance comfort on long drives. A new Electronic Parking Brake frees up console space by eliminating the traditional parking brake handle. All Forester models now feature standard automatic climate control (dual-zone on Limited and Touring models), and the available heated front seats feature three-stage control versus two-stage before. The Touring trim adds new heated rear seats. Keyless Access with Push Button Start is standard on Sport, Limited and Touring trims and optional for Premium. |
 | More room for stuff: The Forester design increases cargo space to 76.1 cu. ft. with the 60:40 split rear seatbacks lowered, a gain of 1.4 cu. ft. The load floor sits flatter, and the cargo area's squared-off shape has been further optimized for ease of carrying large objects. |
 | Easier loading: The rear gate opening maximum width is now 51.2-in. wide, a 5.3-in. increase over the previous model and up to 8-in. wider than on some competitive SUVs. For example, with the Forester, it will be possible to load a full-size golf bag sideways without tilting it. A power rear gate is standard on Limited and Touring trim levels and available as an option for Premium and Sport. |
 | Sport model replaces former turbocharged XT model: The Forester Sport joins the line with unique appearance elements and specially enhanced standard equipment. A Sport grille with black gloss finish frame, black-finish 18-in. wheels and rear roof spoiler give Forester Sport a rugged look, enhanced by orange accents on the black underguards and roof rail mounts. |
 | Sport features: The Sport interior is a unique dark gray material with orange stitching and accents throughout that is exclusive to the Sport model. The Forester Sport exclusively employs a version of Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-DRIVE) with Intelligent and Sport Sharp modes and the Lineartronic CVT features a seven-speed manual mode with steering wheel paddle-shift control switches. Building on the standard equipment of the Forester Premium trim, the Sport also features a high-grade instrument panel combination meter and multi-function display, LED fog lights, High Beam Assist, exterior mirrors with integrated turn signals, Keyless Access with Push-Button Start and PIN Code Access and the All-Weather Package (heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, windshield wiper de-icer). A standard cargo area tray helps protect the interior. For added convenience when loading or unloading equipment at night, the Sport features a cargo area LED light with auto-off and a rear gate LED flood light that illuminates the area around the rear gate when it is opened. |
 | Safety: All versions of the Forester come standard with EyeSight Driver Assist Technology that includes Automatic Pre-Collision Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure and Sway Warning, Lane Keep Assist, Pre-Collision Throttle Management and Lead Vehicle Start Alert. Other available driver-assist technologies include Reverse Automatic Braking and Blind Spot Detection with Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. Reverse Automatic Braking can apply the vehicle's brakes if an obstacle is detected while reversing. Forester Sport, Limited and Touring include High Beam Assist, and Limited and Touring also add Steering Responsive Headlights. New for the Forester, the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) now displays pressure for individual tires. New standard Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) utilizes yaw sensors to monitor trailer sway and then can brake individual wheels to stabilize the vehicle and trailer. A power locking fuel door is integrated into the new automatic power door lock/unlock system as standard. The system locks all doors, the rear gate and fuel door once the vehicle is driven over 13 mph, and the owner can set locking/unlocking preferences. |
 | New powertrain: All Forester models are powered by a new version of the 2.5-liter SUBARU BOXER four-cylinder engine, now with direct fuel injection and higher compression, along with active valve control system (AVCS) on the exhaust side. The new engine produces 182 hp and 176 lb-ft of torque, versus 170 hp and 174 lb-ft in the previous Forester. The Forester comes standard with Lineartronic CVT. The new powertrain not only yields quicker acceleration than the previous Forester, but also up to 33 mpg highway fuel economy (manufacturer's estimate, pending EPA certification). Adding more flexibility for driving conditions, is a standard driver-selectable SI-DRIVE. SI-DRIVE is a powertrain performance management system that allows the driver to tailor the vehicle's throttle characteristics by choosing between "Intelligent" and "Sport" modes (Sport Sharp on Forester Sport). |
 | Off road capability: Symmetrical All Wheel Drive continues to be standard on all models. Active Torque Vectoring, first introduced on the WRX and WRX STI performance models, is also standard on all Foresters. The Forester base model features standard 17-in. steel wheels, while the Premium gets standard 17-in. alloy wheels. Sport, Limited and Touring models ride on 18-in. wheels with each trim featuring its own wheel design. Forester offers a generous 8.7 inches of ground clearance, which is more than most competitors and allows for confident off-pavement driving. Yet, the Forester maintains an easy step-in height. For handling difficult driving conditions such as snow or mud, Forester Premium, Sport, Limited and Touring come standard with driver-selectable X-Mode® with Hill Descent Control. When engaged, X-Mode optimizes control of the engine, transmission shift pattern, Active AWD front/rear clutch force, brakes and the Vehicle Dynamics Control system to optimize wheel control on slippery surfaces and steep inclines. The Sport, Limited and Touring models come standard with a dual-mode version of X-Mode that offers Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud modes for even more capability to go virtually wherever necessary. |
 | More goodies: The Forester is the best-equipped ever, with the standard model adding features such as EyeSight, LED headlights, Auto Start/Stop, SI-DRIVE Engine Performance management, Active Torque Vectoring, Automatic Climate Control, Electronic Parking Brake, Trailer Stability Assist and Welcome Lighting. A panoramic power moonroof is standard on Premium, Sport, Limited and Touring trims. Each trim level adds more features and amenities, while maintaining all the vehicle's rugged capability. The Touring is the most luxurious Forester ever, with standard and exclusive features including 10-way power driver's seat, new 8-way power front passenger seat, new heated rear seats and heated steering wheel. The exterior mirrors have a two-position memory function synchronized to the driver's seat position memory and in addition tilt downward when reverse gear is engaged, to aid in parking maneuvers. A new power rear lock button is available on the rear liftgate that will close and lock the gate and all doors on the vehicle. |
 | Segment First DriverFocus Safety Technology With DriverFocus, Subaru is taking on one of the biggest issues in the automotive industry; distracted driving. Each day in the United States, more than 1,000 people are injured in crashes reported to have involved a distracted driver. Subaru has developed DriverFocus to help address distracted driving. DriverFocus is a driver monitoring system that uses facial recognition software to identify signs of driver fatigue or driver distraction. DriverFocus works with Subaru's award-winning EyeSight Driver Assist Technology to reduce the chance of an accident. And for added convenience, DriverFocus can also recognize up to five drivers and remember their presets for seat position, climate, multifunction display and more. The all-new Forester is the first in its segment, and among the first vehicles in the industry to incorporate this technology The feature will be standard on Touring models. Learn more about DriverFocus. |
Forester Links:
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Foresters through the years:
 2019 and up | The
first Forester built on Subaru's "Global Platform," handling agility
improves and cabin noise decreases. It's Subaru's safer-ever Forester,
loaded with technology including first-in-its-class DriverFocus, a driver-distraction mitigation system. Eyesight active safety suite is standard. Horsepower increases to 182 and fuel economy lifts to 33mpg highway. |
 2014 through 2018 | Slightly larger inside and out than the generation it replaces, Subaru literally cannot build enough to satisfy demand as their factories are running extra shifts. Introducing a continuously variable transmission lifted fuel economy to 32 mpg from 27. Other new features include the Eyesight driver assistance system, power tailgate, and X-Mode traction control. Outward visibility remains tops in the industry. |
 2009 through 2013 | Prior Foresters felt a little cramped, but sales took off with this larger Forester, bigger than its predecessor in every dimension. Subaru poured on the technology, with standard Vehicle Dynamics Control and six airbags. Optional equipment included touchscreen navigation and Bluetooth. |
 2003 through 2008 | Size remained the same, but Subaru modernized everything. Side air bags became standard on every model, the interior moved upscale, ride quality improved, and appearance moved from utilitarian to stylish. |
 1998 through 2002 | Subaru created the Forester on the Impreza platform, installing a square body and bigger engine. Along with the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V (both introduced in 1997), Subaru pioneered the "Small Crossover" segment. It combined the ride height, style, and versatility of a truck-based SUV without the poor fuel economy and sloppy handling. |
For anyone in the Boston metro area, including the north shore, Planet is your source for info about revisions to the 2020 Forester, including sale and release dates, leasing info, and great deals.
