Counting a total of 28 unique changes, the new Subaru Forester tS with STI goods will go on sale in Australia this June.

Priced from $54,990 AUD ($39,705 USD), plus on-road costs, the special edition is based on the XT Premium and comes with $12,000 AUD ($8,665 USD) worth of extra content for a $7,000 AUD ($5,055 USD) premium.

It will be offered in just 300 examples in Australia, all of them packed with a number of STI nuts and bolts, including the black front grille with STI badge and Cherry Red stripe, Crystal Black Silica side mirror casings and roof spoiler, STI and tS rear badges and rear subframe bushings.

Other special features on the Forester tS include uniquely-tuned dampers and coil springs, lowering the ride height by 15 mm, 19-inch Enkei alloy wheels, and Brembo brakes with four-piston calipers at the front and 2-piston calipers at the rear. There is also a choice of three exterior colors: Crystal Black Silica, WR Blue or Crystal White Pearl, each with black trim for the interior.

The SUV’s cabin has been bundled with upgrades such as the STI logo on the leather-trimmed steering wheel, CVT gear knob and instrument gauge, leather and suede trim, red stitching, STI embroidery on the seats, red STI push-button start and black roof liner.

Unlike the JDM version, introduced almost two years ago with 280 HP, the Forester tS for Oz has 240 HP coming from the 2.0-liter four-banger petrol mill, sent to the all-wheel drive system through a CVT.

Subaru Australia Managing Director, Nick Senior, commented:

“[The] Forester tS is a graphic demonstration of Subaru’s innovation, uniqueness and inspiration. Arguably it is the only true sports SUV under $80,000. And with its rarity and Subaru’s renowned retained value, it is bound to be one of the first collectible SUVs. When we flagged Forester tS late last year, the customer enquiries went through the roof and the end result is we’re already wishing we’d ordered more than 300. It’s clear proof of the success of this clever joint development between the Subaru factory and the performance arm, Subaru Tecnica International (STI). While the cars were built in the Subaru factory, they were transferred to STI for final completion and the addition of around 30 items. It certainly gives us great confidence in progressing other joint projects between the factory and STI.”

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