In Cars, International News, Subaru / By Jonathan Lee / 21 September 2015 4:03 pm / 16 comments

After three years on the market, the fourth-generation Subaru Forester is pretty much due for a refresh, and Fuji Heavy Industries has teased a possible reveal for a facelifted model, at an event on October 6. However, it appears the car has already blown its cover thanks to photos of a leaked brochure published on Japanese blog Ethical & LifeHack.

The changes are fairly modest and include new LED projector headlights with C-shaped positioning lights (taking after the style of the BRZ and the latest Legacy/Outback and WRX/WRX STI), a redesigned grille and a reprofiled front bumper reminiscent of the facelifted Impreza.

That’s on regular models; the sportier design as seen on our top turbocharged XT model – with a more aggressive lower grille design, chrome highlights and huge side “whiskers” – looks to have remained unchanged. A new tail light design and a range of revised two-tone wheel designs complete the exterior revamp.

Revisions to the interior are similarly minor – there’s a new three-spoke steering wheel, a redesigned instrument cluster (the needle now rests at nine o’clock), revised dashboard trim inserts and a new design for the door handles and centre console “struts.”

Listed here are 2.0i-L, 2.0i-L EyeSight and S-Limited models (the current Japanese lineup also includes the base 2.0i, a more rugged X-Break and the turbo XT) – all three are powered by an FB 2.0 litre naturally-aspirated flat-four petrol mill and mated to a Lineartronic CVT and all-wheel drive.

Output figures for the NA mill were not listed (the engine currently makes 150 PS at 6,200 rpm and 198 Nm at 4,200 rpm), but the car’s JC08-rated fuel economy figure stands at 16.0 km per litre, a nice jump from the current car’s 15.2 km per litre.

Pricing for the three models listed have risen slightly – the 2.0i-L is now priced at 2,581,200 yen (RM91,600), while the 2.0i-L EyeSight now costs 2,689,200 yen (RM95,400); both prices are 108,000 yen (RM3,800) higher from before. As for the S-Limited, it now retails at 2,894,400 yen (RM102,700), a 64,800 yen (RM2,300) increase.