A few years ago, the Subaru Forester opted for a more practical vibe by doing away with its turbo. The trade-off was that the once-sport compact SUV settled down into a tamer being.
While the turbo option never returned to the Philippines, Japan eventually saw another one in the form of the Forester Sport’s 1.8-liter horizontally-opposed direct-injection turbo engine with 175hp and 300Nm of torque. Now, we have another reason to be jealous of the vehicle’s home market: the Subaru Forester STI Sport.
Now, we know many of you are used to associating those three letters with additional power, but the Forester STI Sport doesn’t get any. It still packs the same 1.8-liter turbo as standard units. What it does get, however, is an STI-tuned sports suspension and a handful of aesthetic upgrades.
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There’s popping red STI badging, of course. It also gets a gloss black finish on exterior components like the rear spoiler, front and rear skid plates, and side mirrors. The 18-inch wheels and dual tailpipes appear to have been carried over from regular units. Inside, you get red and black contrasting elements, as well as STI-branded seats.
Okay, we have to admit this does look kind of tame for something that carries STI badging. Perhaps some additional red accents outside might help this thing stand out a bit more, don’t you think?
So, a tuned suspension and a few design tweaks—would you be content with this if Motor Image Pilipinas ever decided to bring it in? At the very least, that turbo would make things a bit more exciting, right?
More photos of the 2022 Subaru Forester STI Sport
