Subaru refreshes the Forester

Subaru's Forester has received an all-round package of updates to keep it fresh.

Subaru is aiming to attract punters with the arrival of a facelifted Forester. The SUV is Subaru's most popular seller in Ireland as it is, so no ground-breaking changes were deemed to be necessary. The exterior sees a new grille, along with a reshaped bumper that has sprouted some chrome detail. Revised headlight trim along with LED lamps at the rear finish the visual updates. Those headlights are now available with an Adaptive Front Lighting System on XC and XE trim levels, which has a rotating function to allow better visibility when cornering.

Inside, it's also a case of evolution over revolution, with extra attention paid to noise reduction by increasing the glass thickness, upgrading door seals and fitting additional sound deadening between the engine bay and passenger cabin. Increased use of soft-touch materials and some additional trim and upholstery options complete the changes.

Mechanically, a quicker-ratio steering rack and revised suspension settings complement the existing Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive transmission, with Subaru priding itself on the safety and handling benefits of the system along with the low centre of gravity afforded by the boxer engine.

No major changes have been made to the 2.0-litre petrol and diesel engines, or to the Lineartronic CVT gearbox, apart from the addition of an off-road mode thatincludes Hill Descent Control. This gearbox is standard on the petrol engined car and a €3,000 option on the diesel version over the six-speed manual.

The range starts at €36,995 for the base 2.0D X, with XC pack upgrades available for an additional €3,000 if desired, and all models are covered by Subaru's five-year/160,000km warranty package.

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