Subaru will unveil the freshened up Forester on October 28, at the Tokyo Motor Show.

The Japanese car manufacturer’s products have always been appreciated for their safety, performance and sturdiness, with the Forester being the spot-on example of these attributes. Even so, Subaru decided a mid-cycle upgrade was due for their compact crossover and refreshed the model’s design, driving enjoyment, utility and comfort.

Mind you, don’t expect a whole lot of changes on the car’s exterior, as the revised variant comes with minor style adjustments only. The front fascia has been redesigned, for a more athletic, SUV-like appearance, while the rear-lights now have a sideways U-shaped motif. As Subaru points-out, the design has adopted a new sense of wideness, primarily given by the front grille, front bumper and headlights.

Speaking of headlights, the Forester’s Advanced Safety Package incorporates newly developed Adaptive Driving Beam headlamps, and Subaru’s first LED high and low beams lights and Steering Responsive Headlights.

The interior design now benefits from an upgraded instrument panel, an LCD multi-information display and rear seat heaters, while the leather covering used on the instrument panel itself, the center tray and door grips offers a high-quality sporty look. A Harman Kardon sound system and SD navigation system can also be commissioned as manufacturer-installed options.

For improved driving stability and ride comfort, the steering response has been made more linear and the suspension settings were optimized to offer a smoother ride feel. Moreover, the Forester’s chassis was enhanced with a bigger front cross member for better rigidity, while the turbocharged models adopt “Active Torque Vectoring” for improved cornering lines.

Changes were also made in the “safety department”, where the Forester received Subaru’s latest Eyesight pre-crash safety system (ver.3), which includes an upgraded “Active Lane Keep” steering assistance system, as well as the “Pre-Collision Braking Control” and “Adaptive Cruise Control”. And if these features aren’t enough, Subaru can offer – as an option – an “advanced package” supplement for the Eyesight, which includes a radar system for detecting vehicles in rear blind spots.

The revised Forester will be initially offered only in Japan, but we’re eager to see how many of its “traits” will make it to other markets. In its domestic habitat, the crossover apparently comes with a choice of 2.0-litre “Boxer” powerplants (turbocharged and naturally aspirated), paired with CVT gearboxes, as well as a six-speed manual transmission for the basic 2.0-litre model. Prices start at ¥ 1,990,000 (excluding taxes), which is exactly $16,539 at the current exchange rates.

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