The Japanese-Market Subaru Forester Goes On A Cladding Binge And The Results Are Astonishing

We need to talk about an epidemic gripping the globe. Plastic cladding is spreading everywhere from SUVs to compact cars, and it’s getting out of hand. It’s an easy crutch for visually slimming out the bulk of modern vehicles, but it’s easy to go overboard. Case in point: Subaru just unveiled a new cladding package for the Forester in Japan, and it’s absurdly excessive.

There is some precedent for this. Subaru previously released an accessory cladding package for the Crosstrek including tie-downs built into plastic flares and chunky door ding protectors, and it seemed over-the-top then. However, it has nothing on this specially specced Forester, which takes things to a new extreme.

Let’s start with the ridiculously aggressive rub strips on the doors, ribbed for strength like pieces of sports armor. They don’t seem to follow any natural contours, instead imposing themselves on clean sheetmetal like plastic monoliths in an open field. It’s the sort of thing that’s difficult to avert your eyes from, like an explosion or a high-speed police chase. Oh, and they leave a critical strip of metal uncovered, so someone could come along at the right angle and ding this Forester regardless.

Then there’s the grille, which looks like it was stolen off a half-ton pickup truck. There’s no actual Subaru badge on it, instead relying on a wordmark stamped into plastic for branding, and the contrast of two strong vertical elements against horizontal slats turns this Forester into a sabretoothed crossover.

Oh, and we can’t forget about the headlight and taillight protectors that only seem like they’d protect against hits from the side. I actually kinda like the graphic extensions they provide, although the almost snakeskin-like finish is a bit much for me. Still, it beats fake carbon fiber, and offers some contrast against matte plastic.

However, the flipside of this appearance package is that it comes with a sweet set of mountain-themed graphics that seem straight out of the ’90s. Extending down the lower doors and across the tailgate, this is the sort of fun we can get behind. While Ford’s been doing a great job with the Bronco Sport Free Wheeling, more cars need graphics, and Subaru seems ready to deliver.

In case you’re wondering what this full treatment is called, it’s named the Adventure Style package, and it’s certainly adventurous. Not everyone’s going to be a fan of the look, but for REI-ing to the max, this might be what you need. Unfortunately, it seems to only be sold in Japan. Sure, it’s no Forester Ultimate Customized Kit Special, but this Forester sure won’t be easy to misplace in a parking lot.

Top graphic image: Subaru

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