By Ian Strachan.
The Subaru Forester has long been one of my favourite 4x4s, with good looks and high specification in a sensible-sized package. It’s a genuine off-roader with a rugged personality and a purposeful look.
Now it’s had an update inside and out. The sixth generation Forester has had a ground-up redesign, with some mechanical updates and more safety technology.
The latest version builds on its strengths of being a tough and capable 4×4, with an attractive cabin, high equipment levels and smart styling.
The Forester is comfortable and spacious, despite not having the third row of seats that some of its competitors can boast, and can seat five adults easily. Plus there’s 508 litres of luggage space in the back, behind the powered tailgate.
I test drove the Forester in 2.0i Touring spec. You get large 19 inch machined alloy wheels, roof rails and a high ground clearance which make the Forester look impressively capable.
This two-litre petrol-powered mild hybrid version which pumps out 136 horsepower, is brisk and dynamic. Its 0-60mph time of around 12 seconds is nothing to write home about, but it feels quicker and has plenty of low-end grunt to power it up hills. My test car was equipped with Subaru’s CVT automatic gearbox, which is stepless and smooth.
With an electric motor helping acceleration, fuel consumption is about 34.9 mpg in mixed driving. Not exactly frugal, but this is quite a big vehicle.
The Forester has a crisp, well laid out and comfortable interior with an abundance of soft materials. The centre armrest is also a storage box, and there’s lots of stowage space around the cabin. Leather and suede heated seats – electrically adjustable with memory in the front – are large and supportive. The steering wheel is also heated. Instruments are clear and well laid out. The whole of the interior feels spacious, pleasant and light, particularly with the large powered sunroof.
The Subaru’s all wheel drive set-up makes for a stable and safe ride. The Forester is glued to the road on cornering, but still provides light handling and driver involvement. There are selectable drive modes for snow and mud.
Equipment levels are high, and the on-the-road price of the Touring version which I tested – at £44,100 – is competitive, bearing in mind the high equipment levels.
Standard equipment on this specification includes intelligent adaptive cruise control, dual-zone automatic air conditioning, remote central locking with keyless entry, rear parking sensors with 360 degree camera, satellite navigation, six-speaker DAB radio with voice control, Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay controlled from an 11.6-inch multi-function screen or steering wheel-mounted controls, electric heated door mirrors, powered sunroof, steering responsive headlights, front and rear fog lights and rain-sensing wipers.
Safety aids include front pre-collision braking, lane keeping assist, front warning assist, blind spot monitoring, traffic sign recognition, rear cross traffic alert and driver monitoring system.
This is a capable and attractive vehicle which has been nicely updated – building on its strengths without taking away the things that made it a good car to start with.
