2024 Subaru Forester leaked ahead of reveal

The 2024 Subaru Forester has surfaced online ahead of its November 17 reveal.

Subaru’s surprise was spoilt by the photo gallery, posted to social media site Reddit [↗], confirming the sixth-generation Forester will wear evolutionary styling with cues from the latest WRX, Outback and Crosstrek – as well as previous Foresters.

The updated front end sports a wider grille, new headlights with a slimmer DRL signature, more plastic cladding for the lower bumper, and slender triangular fog lamps.

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Image: 2024 Subaru Forester leak, courtesy Reddit

From the side, it appears Subaru was inspired by the third and fourth-gen Foresters, with the ever-so-slightly angular greenhouse of the current model replaced by rectangular, more open space.

It also sports new-look alloy wheels with bronze highlights for the North American Sport variant, body cladding similar to the WRX and Crosstrek, and a prominent D-pillar line with ‘symmetrical AWD’ badging.

The brand’s lobster claw-shaped tail-light design – debuted in the current Forester and spread across the Subaru line-up – has been replaced with a new look, connected by a black strip running across the tailgate.

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Image: 2024 Subaru Forester leak, courtesy Reddit

Chunkier plastic cladding also extends to the rear bumper, which continues the trend for fake exhaust outlets – but with a visible cutout for a small exhaust pipe on one side.

Inside, the new Forester again mimics the Outback, WRX and Crosstrek with a portrait-orientated infotainment system, fewer physical controls, USB-C charge ports, and what appears to be a wireless phone charger.

It is unclear if it will feature a full-digital instrument cluster, with the leaked images revealing a small central driver information display flanked by analogue dials.

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Image: 2024 Subaru Forester leak, courtesy Reddit

A teaser released by Subaru last week said the new mid-size SUV is "an all-new fully redesigned vehicle", though it’s expected to ride on familiar Global Platform underpinnings.

Under the bonnet, the existing 2.5-litre petrol flat-four is expected, along with a “stronger”, more powerful version of the 2.0-litre petrol-hybrid flat-four, hopefully improving acceleration and efficiency.

This will be followed by a turbo-petrol Forester XT – expected to share the Outback’s 183kW/350Nm 2.4-litre turbo – and off-road-focused Forester Wilderness variants.

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Image: 2024 Subaru Forester leak, courtesy Reddit

Earlier this year, Subaru Australia managing director Blair Read said the brand had invested heavily in the sixth-generation Forester and plans to “bring its A-game” with the new model, which is confirmed for an Australian release next year.

“Forester is our number one selling model, and we need to bring our A-game in that segment, to keep Forester’s rightful place. So [our current] focus is [very much] on next-generation Forester,” he said.

The 2024 Subaru Forester will debut on November 17, Australian time, at the Los Angeles auto show.