In your own time...

In the past, TG has been a big fan of the Subaru Forester. Previous versions were honest, able and reliable – favouring substance and actual off-road ability when so many others simply sought style points.

Like many of its rivals, though, the Forester has gone hybrid. The vitals are as follows: a 2.0 4cyl Boxer engine combines with a small lithium-ion battery and an electric motor to produce 164bhp and 193lb ft of torque. There’s also permanent 4WD, a CVT gearbox and minor exterior changes from the previous generation. Underneath, the e-Boxer is based on Subaru’s new Global Platform, which means body strength is increased by 40 per cent and rear legroom by 30mm.

These are baby steps into the world of hybridisation for Subaru. In fact, the e-Boxer’s battery is so small that it can only manage a single mile of all-electric range at up to 25mph. There’s no EV-only button either, so you’ll find yourself engaging the internal combustion engine if you even whisper in the throttle pedal’s ear. The presence of a sluggish CVT means the revs climb and things get particularly noisy under hard acceleration too.

The ride is impressively soft, though – in part thanks to the high-sidewalled tyres – and the steering is dynamic enough for something of this size. Then there’s Subaru’s EyeSight safety system that comes as standard on all e-Boxers. It includes a heap of electronic nannies but is never intrusive in daily driving. The same can be said for the Driver Monitoring System, which points cameras back at the driver and uses facial recognition to detect whether you’re paying attention or not. It’s impressive tech, if a little 1984.

Other good bits? Well, the X-Mode dial means you can switch between normal, snow/ dirt and deep snow/mud modes for proper off-roading, and the boxy shape allows for a huge and easily loadable boot, as well as good visibility all round. The interior is thoughtfully laid out and easy to navigate, but there are too many cheap plastics and clunky buttons. The poor sound quality from the stereo will frustrate modern-day, speaker-spoilt kids too.

The e-Boxer starts from £33,995, but the Premium trim level we had commands a £3,000 um… premium, and that base price is already a hefty £3,000 more than the standard petrol Forester. Hybridisation might not have been the answer for Subaru.