Five things to love about the all-new 5th generation Forester

Motor Image, the exclusive distributor of Subaru vehicles across eight countries in Asia, officially unveiled the All-New Forester in Taichung, Taiwan.

The launch was held at the ballroom of Fullon Lihpao Hotel, and was followed by a track day on Lihpao’s F3 race track and an offroad ride-and-drive session in a nearby open lot.

So what are the top five things to love about the all-new Forester?

EyeSight driver assist technology

The new Subaru EyeSight technology was first introduced in the all-new XV and all-new Impreza earlier this year.

This option will now be available in two of the variants of the all-new Forester.

EyeSight’s award-winning safety features give drivers added peace of mind and an extra margin of safety on every drive.

New EyeSight features on the Forester include automatic pre-collision braking, pre-collision throttle management, adaptive cruise control, lead vehicle start alert, and lane departure and lane sway warnings.

Better driver visibility

The new generation Forester has a better high eye-level view compared to other vehicles in the same class.

This was done with a clever positioning of the pillars to reduce blind spots that can prove to be hazardous on real road conditions.

Additional safety features like the Subaru rear vehicle detection (SRVD) are also available on some variants of the new model.

The SRVD uses radar sensors installed on the rear of the vehicle to detect objects and vehicles behind, and alerts the driver with its three main functions: blind spot detection, lane change assist, and rear cross-traffic alert.

Visual indicators light up if a vehicle in the blind spot is detected. When signaling a lane change, the system alerts the driver if the vehicle in the neighboring lane is approaching.

Rear view ability is also enhanced with a reverse-linked tilt-down door mirror, which makes it more convenient for checking blind spots around rear tires for worry-free reversing and parking.

New Subaru global platform

Also first introduced in the XV and Impreza models, this new platform will soon be incorporated across all models in the Subaru vehicle range.

The SGP is essentially a redesigned chassis that is engineered to offer a safer, smoother driving experience by delivering lesser shake and body roll while significantly reducing road noise to improve cabin comfort at high speeds.

The SGP combines other performance and handling improvements with the use of active torque vectoring, which enables drivers to control their vehicle exactly as intended for improved cornering stability and hazard avoidance performance.

Precise handling is enabled by applying brakes to the inner wheels, which in turn, distributes more torque to the outer wheels when making necessary sharp turns.

New X-mode feature

The all-new Forester also comes equipped with the X-mode function, which is similar to the previous generation but with a “deep snow mud dirt” function for challenging terrains like deep snow or very muddy surfaces.

The regular “snow mud” function is more suited for slippery surfaces like icy roads and over dusty riverbeds.

With the “deep snow mud” function, there is maximum traction and driveability as the X-mode system applies integrated control of the engine, all-wheel drive, brakes and other functions.

Drivers can now conveniently activate X-mode via a new dial-switch, allowing for easy switching between modes depending on road conditions.

The hill descent control function, which was already available in the previous generation Forester, also gives drivers greater peace of mind by maintaining low speeds on downhill slopes.

Bigger cabin space

One more noticeable feature is the extra legroom and couple distance inside the cabin.

Overall length has been increased by 15 mm, while a generous 33 mm was added for the rear legroom. Couple (shoulder-to-shoulder) distance increased by 20mm.

Cargo space was also made more accessible with a wider rear door opening that now features an inner lock switch.

This means that you don’t have to press the switch located at the tailgate or use a remote control to lock the door.

With just one press, the tailgate will close and automatically lock.