- Subaru introduces model year updates for the Japanese Forester.
- The new Forester Touring serves as a cheaper turbo entry model.
- Minor equipment upgrades roll out across the wider catalog.
A little over a year into the sixth-generation Forester’s life on home soil, Subaru has handed its bread-and-butter SUV a round of mild revisions for the Japanese market. The most notable change is a new entry-level trim that borrows a familiar name. It’s called the Touring.
While North American buyers associate the Touring trim with premium features and leather upholstery, Japan’s versions serves a completely different purpose. It functions as the new entry point for the turbocharged lineup, cutting standard equipment to lower the price.
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On the outside, the JDM Forester Touring gets unpainted black front and rear bumper guards, along with matching side claddings. The SUV rides on 18-inch aluminum wheels featuring the same five-spoke design as in the Sport and X-Break trims, albeit with a bi-tone diamond-cut finish.
Subaru Forester Touring (Japan)
Inside, the cabin features fabric upholstery with a choice of black or gray/platinum themes. Moreover, there is blue stitching on the seats and silver stitching on the gear selector.
Unlike the base trim in the US which gets a 7-inch display, the Japanese equivalent comes standard with the 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen. However, the digital instrument cluster gives way to analog dials with a 4.2-inch display in the middle. The Touring also gets 10-way power driver’s seat with a memory function, an 8-way power passenger seat, heated front and rear outboard seats, as well as power folding mirrors.
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Those who want more can upgrade to the Touring EX, adding the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and the Eyesight X ADAS technology which is missing from the entry-level Touring.
The rest of the Japanese lineup comprises the Sport EX with bronze accents, the blacked-out Sport EX Black Selection, the rugged X-Break and the flagship Premium EX (which is similar to the US-Spec Touring). Note that Japanese buyers don’t have access to the Forester Wilderness.
Gasoline And Hybrid Options
Subaru Forester Touring EX (Japan)
The mechanical specification remains unchanged. The Touring, Touring EX, Sport, and Sport EX trims are powered by the turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder boxer engine which is good for 174 hp (130 kW / 177 PS) and 300 Nm (221 lb-ft) of torque. Power is transmitted to all four wheels via a CVT gearbox and Subaru’s Symmetrical AWD system.
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The X-Break, X-Break EX, and Premium EX grades are exclusively offered with the self-charging hybrid (S:HEV) setup. This combines an 2.5-liter e-Boxer producing 158 hp (118 kW / 160 PS) with a traction electric motor generating 118 hp (88 kW / 120 PS) and a 1.1 kWh lithium-ion battery.
Beyond the new trims, the Forester receives a higher-resolution Smart Rearview Mirror, along with faster wireless smartphone charging. Furthermore, all hybrid models receive a standard 100V AC accessory power outlet capable of delivering 1,500 watts of electrical power.
Pricing
Subaru Forester Sport EX Black Selection (Japan)
The mildly updated Forester is already available to order in Japan, with Subaru aiming for a monthly sales volume of 2,200 units. The cheapest version is the Touring starting at ¥3,850,000 ($24,200), while the Touring EX is priced at ¥3,993,000 ($25,100). On the other end of the spectrum, the flagship Premium S:HEV EX costs ¥4,642,000 ($29,200).
In the US, the entry-level Forester Base starts from $29,995 but comes standard with Eyesight. The US-spec Forester Touring Hybrid is the most expensive member of the local lineup starting at $41,545 before destination, delivery tax, title, and registration fees.
