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2022 Subaru Forester facelift coming soon, Australian launch expected by October 2021

Subaru's mid-size SUV to gain a facelift later in 2021, with revised styling and upgrades safety systems – but no turbo petrol power for Australia.


The 2022 Subaru Forester mid-size SUV is in line for its mid-life facelift later this year – and it could be in Australian showrooms as early as July 2021.

Its first major update since its local launch in late 2018, CarAdvice understands the facelifted Forester will arrive in Australian Subaru showrooms in the third quarter of 2021 (July to September inclusive) – pending any further delays related to semiconductor chip shortages, currently affecting the car industry.

Reports out of Japan suggest changes will be minor, headlined by a revised front end with a reshaped honeycomb grille, and adaptive LED headlights inspired by the new-generation Levorg.

Larger black cladding pieces are said to surround the wheel arches, while new alloy wheel designs should also feature.

Japan's Car Sensor doesn't list any changes to the Forester's interior, suggesting the larger Outback's 11.6-inch portrait touchscreen could be off the table for now.

Above: How Japanese website Car Sensor imagines the updated Forester will look. Bottom of story: Russian website Kolesa's interpretation of the 2022 Forester.

The Forester's safety suite will reportedly be bolstered with the addition of intersection support for its autonomous emergency braking system, while upgrades to the lane-keep assist system could be on the cards, enabling hands-free, semi-autonomous driving on motorways.

Suspension and steering systems are said to undergo a retune for "improved ride and handling", though the selection of engines they're fed by aren't said to change.

In Japan that means a 130kW/300Nm 1.8-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder and a 2.0-litre four-cylinder hybrid system, combining a 110kW/196Nm petrol engine with a 12.3kW electric motor.

Australian models are expected to continue with 2.0-litre hybrid and 136kW/239Nm 2.5-litre petrol four-cylinder options, with a Subaru Australia spokesperson confirming the brand has "no immediate plans" for a turbocharged Forester locally.

Stay tuned to Drive for all the latest on the 2022 Subaru Forester facelift, as its local launch approaches in the third quarter of 2021 (or later, if semiconductor shortages delay local arrival timing).

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Alex Misoyannis

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.

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