Subaru has gained a new philosophy of subtlety and understatement that it has instilled into its latest range of vehicles. The Forester is no exception to this line of thinking. The old model was badged as a GT in bright red so the whole world would know that more money had been outlayed on something with much more power than the standard car. The only secret to the turbocharger under the bonnet in this vehicle is the cold air intake on the bonnet.
The turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder motor is a beauty, with plenty of low-down power, little discernible turbo-lag, and no noise from the turbine or the wastegate to upset the passengers. The four-speed auto is always willing to change down to give more urge, but surely the five-speed dual-range manual would be the best option for the motor to shine.
Every grass and gravel all-wheel-drive touts its car-like handling in its advertising. The Forester XT is possibly the closest to its claim. It sits lower than most of its peers, weighs less, has fully-independent suspension, has an engine sitting lower due to its boxer design, has wheels at all four corners with minimal overhangs and has a proper all-wheel drive system, where many others are driven only by the front wheels until a loss of traction is encountered. Its handling is certainly close to that of a car.
The driving position is low and the steering wheel is a small three-spoke design in keeping with the more sporting theme. Controls seem to fall to hand easily, particularly the cruise control and audio buttons on the steering wheel. The wing mirrors are unusual – they would not look out of place on an eighteen-wheel semi-trailer and they are convex in one axis only, which can confuse or sicken the driver like the crazy mirrors at the ekka. The author is not usually so impressed by such minor items, but the sunroof is large enough to embarrass many European cabriolets and can be used an extra door, if required.
A manual Forester X starts at $30,490. The entry level turbo XT starts from $38,990, while the XT Premium automatic as tested is priced from $46,990. All trim and power levels contain the same safety features, including six airbags, stability control, ABS and brake assistance.
* This article appeared in the AMA magazine in the August edition.
