Safety in vehicles is like pizza; you can never have too much of it. So Subaru is doubling down on the safety features on its redesigned 2019 Forester.
In addition to engine, styling and space upgrades, all new Forester models will come with the automaker’s EyeSight -- a tech-based safety feature -- as standard equipment, Subaru announced on Wednesday. That includes pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist.
The 2019 Forester will also have an optional feature called DriverFocus, which monitors the driver for signs of distracted driving, something few new cars today have the ability to do.
The redesigned Forester debuted at the 2019 New York Auto Show on Wednesday afternoon.
Set to go on sale this fall, the new Forester will come with a 182-horsepower, four-cylinder engine and an automatic transmission (the CVT type). All-wheel drive is standard on all models, a long-standing calling card of the Subaru brand.
Five trim levels will be available: base, Premium, Sport, Limited and Touring.
The Sport version is a new addition to the Forester family for 2019. It comes with minor exterior and interior tweaks, unique 18-inch alloy wheels, LED fog lights, heated front seats and a sport-tuned drive mode that sharpens its throttle response.
As mentioned, all models will have Subaru’s previously optional EyeSight active safety system. For 2019, Subaru is adding DriverFocus as standard on the high-end Touring version. It uses an infrared camera to track the driver’s attention and will alert the driver if it believes he or she is distracted or tired. This Forester will be among the first vehicles on the road to offer such a system (Cadillac’s Super Cruise hands-free driving system uses a similar approach).
Other upgrades for the 2019 model year include more interior space for people and cargo, a quieter cabin (the Forester now rides on a new platform that nearly all of its future vehicles will be built on) and exterior and interior design changes.
Standard equipment on all models includes the aforementioned all-wheel-drive system, LED headlights, engine start/stop for fuel economy, climate control and a 6.5-inch touchscreen stereo system (larger on higher-end models) that features Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
