I don't know about your
I don't know about your country, but in the U.S. the Honda Accord has a manual transmission with Honda sensing standard. You don't get automatic emergency braking, but you do get adaptive cruise control down to 45mph and lane keep centering. In the IIHS crash safety scores, it still rates the highest in crash prevention. The manual transmission isn't even factored into the ratings. I guess because it doesn't sell enough volume.
The Forester XT really does need to be the like the how WRX is to the Impreza sedan. Sedans are out and CUV's are in. So they need to dress up the XT with a better exterior, be it a new hood with a hood scoop and flared fenders, or just some cosmetic bits. But it definitely needs a manual transmission. The manual trans take rate is pretty high for the WRX. It's an enthusiast's car after all. If they do that, the Forester XT would sell alot.