The new Subaru Forester facelift made its global debut in Japan back in June 2021. 17 months later in November 2022 the facelifted Forester was launched in Thailand.

The longer than usual time is partly because of the lead time necessary for local assembly (CKD) work, as the

the Subaru Forester is locally-assembled (CKD) at Tan Chong Subaru Automotive Thailand’s plant in Lat Krabang, Bangkok.

Also Read: Review: 2020 Subaru Forester 2.0i-S ES – It drives far better than it looks

At the ongoing Bangkok International Motor Show, TC Subaru Thailand showcased the GT Edition of the facelifted Forester. Two variants of the GT Edition Foresters are offered in Thailand: GT and GT Lite.

Prices start from THB 1,520,000 (~RM 198k) for the GT Lite variant, while the top-spec GT goes for THB 1,660,000 (~RM 215k).

As we covered during the debut of the facelifted Forester, this updated C-segment SUV gains a redesigned front fascia, with slimmer and sharper LED headlights now being the biggest highlight. The front bumper is also new, but you can’t tell unless you compare both the facelifted and pre-facelifted model side-by-side; it’s that subtle.

Also Read: Japan's 2021 Subaru Forester facelift wears a new look, comes with better EyeSight ADAS

The rear-end is largely the same as the pre-facelift Forester, albeit with a slightly more angular lower rear diffuser piece.

The GT-Edition adds the customary front, side, and rear skirts, as well as bespoke 18-inch alloy wheels.

Inside, the GT-Edition of the facelifted Subaru Forester adds quilted leather seats to the mix; the rest of the interior is lock, stock, and barrel identical to the regular facelifted Forester.

Power for the Subaru Forester comes from a naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre flat-4 engine that does 156 PS and 196 Nm, mated to Subaru’s butter-smooth Lineartronic CVT. Power is deployed to all four wheels via Subaru’s Symmetrical AWD system.

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Closer to home, our Malaysian-spec Subaru Forester is no longer locally-assembled (CKD). Starting with the current SK-generation model, the Forester is imported (CBU) from Thailand.

As such, a local debut of the facelifted Forester should happen later this year.

Also Read: SUVs launching in Malaysia in 2023; from Omoda 5, to the new CR-V, and all the way to the Proton X90