When the fourth-generation Subaru Forester bowed out in 2018, it marked the discontinued of the turbocharged engine that was featured on every generation of the model.

If a report by a Taiwanese publication is to be believed, Subaru could reintroduce the turbocharged mill on the fifth-generation Forester – back-pedalling its early decision to keep the Forester non-turbocharged.

The same report also mentioned that Subaru could plonk in the same 1.8-litre turbocharged lifted out of the recently-unveiled, all-new Subaru Levorg. The new turbocharged mill, codenamed CB18, does 177 PS and 300 Nm.

These output figures may trail the previous-generation Forester XT’s output figures (240 PS/350 Nm), but it is still more powerful than the current Forester. The naturally-aspirated mill in the current Forester only does 156 PS and 196 Nm, meaning that the turbocharged mill engine offers an additional 21 PS and 104 Nm – a healthy bump in output figures.

What’s unchanged are Subaru’s Lineartronic CVT and Symmetrical AWD system.

Interestingly, the new turbocharged Forester could debut as soon as December 2020, though it remains to be seen if this powertrain will be offered for the Malaysian market.