New 2015 Forester STI won’t be rocking NAIAS

Detroit will be rocked by the Steve Miller Band on January 16, but the new Forester won’t be on hand. Subaru is bringing the new 2015 Forester tS to the Tokyo Auto Salon next month but don’t look for the performance SUV in Detroit. Subaru officially unveiled the performance Forester at the end of November and said the SUV will be for the Japan market only. The Japanese automaker will put the production 2015 Forester tS under the bright lights at the Tokyo Auto Salon which will be held January 9-11.

U.S. gets Forester XT

The U.S. market will have to stick with the 2015 Forester XT with the WRX-sourced 2.0-liter turbo boxer that produces 250 horsepower and 258 lb. ft of torque. The Forester XT does come with a sport-designed front facia, dual exhaust and 18-inch wheels for a bolder look.

STI-developed Forester tS

The new STI-developed Forester tS comes with the same 2.0-liter turbo boxer engine as the XT, and if it gets the Japan WRX S4 powerplant power numbers, it will produce 221 kW (296 hp) and 400 Nm (295 lb. ft of torque). This special Forester sits 15mm lower than the Forester XT and gets a special STI suspension setup and tuning for performance driving dynamics.

MUST READ: Mitsubishi announces 473hp 2015 Lancer Evolution X Final Edition

Underneath it features 19-in BBS aluminum wheels wrapped in 245/45R19 Turanza ER33 performance tires, 17-in ventilated Brembo disc brakes both front and rear with red STI logo, a track-tested STI-tuned suspension, flexible tower bar, draw stiffeners both front and rear, a flexible support sub-frame in the rear, dedicated ECU unit, dedicated TCU transmission control unit and a oil cooler for the 8-step CVT automatic.

European luxury performance SUVs used as a benchmark

Subaru and STI didn’t necessarily develop the new Forester tS to compete with the popular German and British performance SUVs, but they did use them as a benchmark for its on road performance and quiet ride. The goal was also to produce a performance SUV that had a reasonable price and met the high expectations of Subaru fans.

Forester XT enthusiasts won’t be seeing the new 2015 Subaru Forester tS introduced in Detroit, but the Forester XT that was first introduced in 2004, will continue to be a popular multi-purpose SUV and has a loyal fan base of performance enthusiasts who wouldn’t give up their XT’s for anything, except for maybe an STI-developed 2015 Forster tS.