Subaru Forester receives minor updates in Japan

The Subaru Forester has been given a minor update in Japan, with sales of the “new” SUV set to begin in the country later in mid-July. As far as changes go, they largely involve the model’s available equipment, with no major revisions involving the styling or powertrain.

In the safety department, there’s now a Rear Seat Reminder system, whereby the new feature will remind the driver to check the rear seat before exiting the SUV. This is designed to prevent a child or a pet from being accidentally locked and trapped in the vehicle.

The system won’t be physically able to detect the presence of children or pets in the rear seat area, although it is engaged when certain conditions are met. For instance, when the vehicle is started within 30 minutes after a rear door is opened and closed.

Other scenarios include when a rear door is opened and closed when the vehicle is running and stationary, as well as when the vehicle is turned off and back on again within 30 minutes while the rear doors remained closed.

Elsewhere, all variants also receive LED lamps to illuminate the license plate instead of bulb-type ones, and Magnetite Grey Metallic is the latest addition to the Forester’s colour palette in Japan.

The Japanese carmaker also noted that the Advance variant, which is a hybrid (Forester e-Boxer), accounted for 47% of Forester sales in the country. The model is powered by a FB20 2.0 litre naturally-aspirated flat-four petrol engine (145 PS/188 Nm), which is paired with a Lineartronic CVT that features a 13.6/PS/65 Nm electric motor within it.

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