Sublime Forester shows how SUVs should be done
You can bet your bottom dollar on some things in life. Like tomorrow morning’s sun. And the Subaru Forester. Subaru arrived in South Africa at pretty much the exact same time as we really became serious about the motoring media, way back in 1997. Let’s just say we’ve been coupled at the tote forever since.
They operated out of a downtown Johannesburg basement; we ran Cars in Action from the third bedroom in our starter home. We grew together. Had a lot to do with the formative years of Subaru SA, too. We tested them, raced them, owned them and drove them every day. At a time, three of our families owned five Subarus at the same time. And we still love ‘em. For very good reason, too.
The Forester wasn’t a thing back in the very early days. It was all about Legacy, Outback and the incredible Impreza GT then. Superb little cars that may have looked a bit like a beat up Corolla. But hoo boy! That WRC-honed boxer-four symmetrical all-wheel drive magic was just way beyond anything out there. Especially in turbo GT, later WRX and finally, STi form.
Forester has always beaten its own drum
Forester arrived not long after. It went its own route. See, that boxer-four symmetrical all-wheel drive magic wasn’t invented for the WRC. The WRC just honed it. Subaru’s die, for want of a better word, was already well cast by its yen for providing incredible solutions to driving in, well, not ideal conditions. It just happened to make for an astounding World Rally solution, and weapon too.
Everything about any real Subaru, was next level. From impeccable traction, balance, poise and predictability to the way it shoots dirty puddle water spray out to the side, and not all over the windscreen, like most cars still do today. Subarus were just next level. And still are. The Forester also brought chunky squared off looks in a taller, more pragmatic solution to both the smaller Impreza wagon, and bigger Legacy and Outback.
Thirty years later, some of our kids are still driving Subarus. And 4.5 million Foresters sold around the world later, lo and behold, the sixth generation Forester. Can it really be? Well nothing’s changed. Except Forester’s impeccable blend of safety, engineering excellence, family practicality and adventure-ready confidence now account for more than half the Subarus sold in South Africa. And yes, it’s basically six times better, too.
Forester is now bolder, more aerodynamic
Forester Six strikes a bolder, more aerodynamic stance that’s ready for the second quarter of the 21st century. With a stronger grille, compact LED headlights and the latest Subaru Pleaides star-cluster badge, muscular arches, 18-inch alloys and standard roof rails. All simply speak Subaru Forester. Especially in this navy frigate grey.
A boxer-four as only a Subaru can be, this 136 kW 247 Nm 2.5-litre normally aspirated lump benefits sixty years of consistent development. Driving Fuji’s more recent hallmark paddle shifter 8-step manual mode Lineartronic CVT and of course, still the world leader after all these years, viscous coupling centre differential symmetrical all-wheel drive.
For the record, the 1,645 kg 4.6 metre long, 1,8 m a wide and 1.7 m tall Forester rides on a 2.7 m wheelbase. It sports MacPherson front and double-wishbone rear ends with electronic rack and pinion power steering and ventilated ABS disc brakes all round. Its already the most surefooted SUV out there. And by some distance, too.
Class leading just about everything
Class leading 220 mm ground clearance, 20.3° approach and 25.8° departure angles with 21.2° break-over angles and unique long droop suspension make Forester as capable on gravel tracks as it is smooth on the freeway. An impeccable mechanical pedigree. And that’s just where it starts.
Dual function X-mode with hill descent control, Subaru SI-Drive to switch between efficient or dynamic driving, and a full safety and driver assist suite offer best safety at the price. Latest award-winning bifocal Subaru EyeSight driver assist tech brings a wider field of view and faster processing with pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control with lane centring.
Add autonomous emergency steering, lead vehicle start alert, and pre-collision throttle management. Theres also blind-spot detection with lane change, rear cross-traffic, reverse braking, front, side and 360-degree cameras, a new emergency driving stop system, comprehensive airbags and ISOFIX mounts. Safe as houses, they say. Even if attention assist, in particular, is a bit OTT.
Smarter cabin, best infotainment out there
Unashamedly made for families and explorers, access Forester’s quieter, smarter sound-insulated, more refined cabin with premium Harman Kardon 10-speaker sound via wide-opening doors. Better side bolstered Alcantara clad command front seats with 10-way power adjustment for the driver, are even more comfy.
The hide stretches to the multifunction steering and gear knob. An even greater greenhouse and panoramic sunroof bring best in-class visibility Forester’s cavernous 496 litre boot expands to a 1,174 litre flat cargo floor via the wide-opening kick sensor power tailgate and one-touch 60/40 split folding rear bench. The rear cabin gets its own ventilation and USB-A and C charging too.
Best of all inside, is new Forester’s 11.6-inch tablet display CarPlay, Bluetooth wireless, steering and voice control infotainment. Better by far by far than anything else we’ve used in this neck of the woods, it still has more than enough buttons for the most important audio and climate functions. But everything else is there and waiting for you on the home screen. Big, bold and easy to read and understand. A lesson in modern car interface. Such a pleasure. Bravo, Subaru.
Priced to smash cars half as good
On the road, and off it, Forester Six is as poised and perfect as ever. Reasonable straight line performance is perhaps hindered by its hesitation to launch, which is a pity, because that launch was what some of us remember best about racing them. But beyond that its impeccable. Some of the systems can be overbearing, but most can be switched off. Do you really need all of them with symmetrical AWD?
At the end of the day, the new Subaru Forester remains just that at heart, a WRC-honed boxer-four symmetrical all-wheel drive SUV that’s just way beyond anything else out there. It drives, rides and holds the road brilliantly and is wrapped in a splendid, modern and well equipped package. And at a price you won’t believe, never mind. – Michele Lupini
Images & Testing: Giordano Lupini
ROAD TESTED: Subaru Forester 2.5i Field
Engine: 136 kW 247 Nm 2,5-litre petrol H4
Drive: CVT AWD
TESTED:
0-60 km/h: 4.30 sec
0-100 km/h: 8.90 sec
0-120 km/h 12.28 sec
400m: 16.5 sec @ 140 km/h
80-120 km/h: 6.00 sec
CLAIMED:
VMax: 200 km/h
Fuel Average: 7.9 l/100 km
Range 800 km
CO2: 180 g/km
Warranty/Service: 5y 150K/3y 75K km
PRICE R830K
How does it compare?
Check with Auto's Test Data right here
