Subaru Forester (2019)

Signature Subaru Design

The 2019 Subaru Forester debuts a more rugged style that showcases Subaru's new design language while retaining a strong family resemblance to the rest of the brand's portfolio. The exterior has shoulder lines that follow around the pillars to emphasize height and strength. Prominent wheel arches emphasize the standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system's functionality. Front, side and rear underguards are standard on all models, with color finish according to trim line. New LED headlights are standard on all models and complement the brand's signature hexagonal grille. High-gloss black or silver trim highlights the Forester's premium appearance, accentuated by new colors such as Jasper Green Metallic, Horizon Blue Pearl and Crimson Red Pearl.

Forester's new design brings added function. The wheelbase is increased to 105.1 in. from 103.9 in., with the gain benefitting rear seat legroom, which is now 39.4-in., a 1.4-in. increase. Gains in headroom, hip and shoulder room further bolster passenger comfort and a feeling of spaciousness in the cabin. Wider rear door openings and a steep C-pillar angle make ingress/egress and installing a child seat easier. All Subaru Forester models feature lower body side cladding, which helps protect against mud, rocks and other road debris.

The new Forester design maintains outstanding outward visibility, a hallmark of Subaru models. Strategically designed pillars and generous glass area ensure an excellent all-around view from inside, and all models feature a standard rear vision camera.

The 2019 Forester design increases cargo space to 76.1 cu. ft. with the 60:40 split rear seatbacks lowered, a gain of 1.4 cu. ft. The load floor sits flatter, and the cargo area's squared-off shape has been further optimized for ease of carrying large objects. Notably, the rear gate opening maximum width is now 51.2-in. wide, a 5.3-in. increase over the previous model and up to 8-in. wider than on some competitive SUVs. For example, with the 2019 Subaru Forester, it will be possible to load a full-size golf bag sideways without tilting it. A power rear gate is standard on Limited and Touring trim levels and available as an option for Premium and Sport.

Roof rails, standard on all but the base model, allow for a number of Subaru Genuine Accessories for carrying items such as bicycles and kayaks. New tie-down hooks integrated into the rails, on Sport and Touring trims, allow ropes to be tied down more easily and securely.

New Forester Sport

Inspired by the needs of outdoor enthusiasts, the 2019 Forester Sport joins the line with unique appearance elements and specially enhanced standard equipment. A Sport grille with black gloss finish frame, black-finish 18-in. wheels and rear roof spoiler give Subaru Forester Sport a rugged look, while orange accents on the black underguards and roof rail mounts add a modern, youthful touch. The interior is a unique dark gray material with orange stitching and accents throughout that is exclusive to the Sport model.

The Forester Sport exclusively employs a version of Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-DRIVE) with Intelligent and Sport Sharp modes and the Lineartronic CVT features a seven-speed manual mode with steering wheel paddle-shift control switches. Building on the standard equipment of the Forester Premium trim, the Sport also features a high-grade instrument panel combination meter and multi-function display, LED fog lights, High Beam Assist, exterior mirrors with integrated turn signals, Keyless Access with Push-Button Start and PIN Code Access and the All-Weather Package (heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, windshield wiper de-icer).

A standard cargo area tray helps protect the interior. For added convenience when loading or unloading equipment at night, the Sport features a cargo area LED light with auto-off and a rear gate LED flood light that illuminates the area around the rear gate when it is opened.

Family comfort and quiet space

The roomiest Subaru Forester cabin yet is also the quietest, thanks to the Subaru Global Platform's inherent resistance to noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). Road noise is significantly reduced and Subaru has worked to tune out certain frequencies to make conversation or listening to music at highway speeds more comfortable.

Forester's interior has been designed for both greater passenger comfort and increased durability in everyday and recreational usage. New front seats, are constructed to enhance comfort on long drives. A new Electronic Parking Brake frees up console space by eliminating the traditional parking brake handle.

All Forester models now feature standard automatic climate control (dual-zone on Limited and Touring models), and the available heated front seats feature three-stage control versus two-stage before. The Touring trim adds new heated rear seats for 2019. Keyless Access with Push Button Start is standard on Sport, Limited and Touring trims and optional for Premium. In conjunction with this feature, SUBARU STARLINK® Connected Services now offers available Remote Engine Start via the MySubaru smartphone app. Climate controls can also be set on the app when Remote Engine Start is activated. Many other connected services such as Wi-Fi and concierge services are newly available on Subaru Forester for 2019 model year.

Numerous new details throughout the Forester reflect the Subaru brand's meticulous study of real-world customer usage. The material used for the cargo area floor, sides and rear gate interior trim offer a textured surface to resist dirt. The robust material also resists scuffing, such as when carrying camping equipment or other outdoor gear, and is easily cleaned. PVC material used on the bottoms of the front seat backs likewise resists scuffing and the material is easily cleaned. Pockets on the front seatbacks are now divided to more easily organize items such as magazines and electronic devices.

Legendary Subaru Value Gets Even Better

The 2019 Forester is the best-equipped ever, with the standard model adding features such as EyeSight, LED headlights, Auto Start/Stop, SI-DRIVE Engine Performance management, Active Torque Vectoring, Automatic Climate Control, Electronic Parking Brake, Trailer Stability Assist and Welcome Lighting. A panoramic power moonroof is standard on Premium, Sport, Limited and Touring trims.

Each trim level adds more features and amenities, while maintaining all the vehicle's rugged capability. The 2019 Touring is the most luxurious Subaru Forester ever, with standard and exclusive features including 10-way power driver's seat, new 8-way power front passenger seat, new heated rear seats and heated steering wheel. Also new for 2019, the exterior mirrors have a two-position memory function synchronized to the driver's seat position memory and in addition tilt downward when reverse gear is engaged, to aid in parking maneuvers. A new power rear lock button is available on the rear liftgate that will close and lock the gate and all doors on the vehicle.

Adventurous Spirit and Function

The 2019 Forester continues the model's tradition of offering the optimal blend of SUV capability with car-like ride and handling with legendary Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. This key technology provides stable, secure driving for young families and all-around capability for outdoors enthusiasts. Subaru's all-wheel drive system actively monitors acceleration, deceleration, cornering and traction to transfer power to the wheels with the best grip.

Active Torque Vectoring, first introduced on the brand's iconic WRX ® and WRX STI® performance models, is also standard on all 2019 Foresters. The Subaru Forester base model features standard 17-in. steel wheels, while the Premium gets standard 17-in. alloy wheels. Sport, Limited and Touring models ride on 18-in. wheels with each trim featuring its own wheel design.

Forester offers a generous 8.7 inches of ground clearance, which is more than most competitors and allows for confident off-pavement driving. Yet, the 2019 Forester maintains an easy step-in height.

For handling difficult driving conditions such as snow or mud, Forester Premium, Sport, Limited and Touring come standard with driver-selectable X-Mode® with Hill Descent Control. When engaged, X-Mode optimizes control of the engine, transmission shift pattern, Active AWD front/rear clutch force, brakes and the Vehicle Dynamics Control system to optimize wheel control on slippery surfaces and steep inclines. New for 2019, the Sport, Limited and Touring models come standard with a dual-mode version of X-Mode that offers Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud modes for even more capability to go virtually wherever necessary.

Subaru Safety Throughout

The Subaru Forester's new platform integrates the latest version of the Subaru ring-shaped reinforcement frame design, proven over nearly two decades to provide excellent occupant collision protection. All versions of the 2019 Forester come standard with EyeSight Driver Assist Technology that includes Automatic Pre-Collision Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure and Sway Warning, Lane Keep Assist, Pre-Collision Throttle Management and Lead Vehicle Start Alert.

Other available driver-assist technologies include Reverse Automatic Braking and Blind Spot Detection with Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. Reverse Automatic Braking can apply the vehicle's brakes if an obstacle is detected while reversing.

Forester Sport, Limited and Touring include High Beam Assist, and Limited and Touring also add Steering Responsive Headlights. New for the 2019 Subaru Forester, the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) now displays pressure for individual tires. New standard Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) utilizes yaw sensors to monitor trailer sway and then can brake individual wheels to stabilize the vehicle and trailer.

A power locking fuel door is integrated into the new automatic power door lock/unlock system as standard. The system locks all doors, the rear gate and fuel door once the vehicle is driven over 13 mph, and the owner can set locking/unlocking preferences.

Inside, the Forester fills out its safety roster with the Subaru Advanced Frontal Airbags, a driver's knee airbag, standard front side pelvis/torso airbags and side curtain airbags that offer front and rear outboard seat coverage.

SUBARU STARLINK™ In-Vehicle Technology

The 2019 Forester offers the latest touchscreen SUBARU STARLINK multimedia systems with standard features including Apple CarPlay™, Android™ Auto and SiriusXM® services (subscription required) with Bluetooth® hands-free phone connectivity and audio streaming. Music, news, podcasts and much more can be enjoyed with standard Aha™, Pandora® and STARLINK app integration. A built-in, voice-activated navigation system powered by TomTom with an 8" high resolution touchscreen is also available. The standard Subaru Forester comes with the 6.5" Multimedia system, while higher trim levels feature the 8.0" Multimedia Plus and 8.0" Multimedia Navigation systems.

SUBARU STARLINK Connected Services now offers remote engine start (on models equipped with Keyless Access and Push-Button Start); concierge service; anti-theft vehicle immobilizer with flashing vehicle security lights; young driver safety functions including geofencing, speed alert and curfew; and firmware updates over the air.

Also available, the Safety Plus package offers SOS emergency assistance, enhanced roadside assistance, automatic collision notification, maintenance notifications, monthly vehicle health report, and diagnostic alerts. The Safety Plus & Security Plus upgrade package adds stolen vehicle recovery service, vehicle security alarm notification, remote lock/unlock, remote horn and lights and remote vehicle locator.