SUBARU FORESTER
Fifth-gen SUV stays faithful to family – yours, and its own
A lot like the last one, but much more like the new one
ALTHOUGH the 2019 Subaru Forester is allnew, meeting it feels a bit like catching up with an old pal. There’s a sense of familiarity and dependability that creates an entirely different kind of appeal to that exuded by ostentatious luxury and performance cars.
The fifth-generation Forester is built on the company’s new Global Platform which supports electrification and will soon underpin the first-ever hybrid Forester, yet initially, the Forester range has been pared back.
In its previous generation, the Forester was offered with atmo, turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel engines and manual and CVT automatic transmissions. For now, though, every 2019 Forester has a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four bolted to a CVT. The 2.5i and 2.5i-l open proceedings with respective pricetags of $33,490 and $35,490, but only the 2.5i Premium ($38,490) and 2.5i-s ($41,490) were present at the launch, showing off their more generous equipment.
Headlining the technological upgrade is a new Driver Monitoring System, which uses a camera to scan the driver’s face. Not only can the system recognise up to three different users and set their preferences, including seat position and favourite radio station, it also continuously monitors the driver for drowsiness and distraction. Reach down for your phone or start to nod off and the Forester slaps you on the wrist with audible and visual alarms.
The new system joins Subaru’s proprietary Eyesight stereoscopic camera technology, which is now standard range-wide, and enables autonomous emergency braking as well as a host of other driverassistance tech.
While many SUVS talk the off-road talk with pumped arches and a raised ride height, some of them offer very limited ability beyond sealed roads. The Forester has always been one of the better SUVS for light offroading, but we were deprived of a chance to test that reputation with the drive route delivering little more challenging than slippery but smooth gravel. There was no need to engage the Forester’s X-mode system, and its permanent symmetrical all-wheel drive only made its presence felt when the cornering enthusiasm was dialled up.
For hitting the blacktop, though, the Forester is stoic and a loyal companion. Its 136kw is entirely adequate for the suburbs and for highway cruising, but overtaking had us fantasising about forced induction and a variant wearing the coveted STI badge. We would settle for a return of the GT.
The new Forester’s cruising ability is a real strength, with a
ride quality that walks a line between smooth and comfortable, and alert and confident. Further pluses include low cabin noise and a commanding view out the windows for both front and rear occupants, to keep every member of the family happy on tour.
The Forester’s CVT does a decent job masquerading as a conventional auto with its ratio steps and is free of CVT drone on a light throttle.
A compelling list of practical features seals the Forester’s value equation, with cavernous occupant space in the second row, a 498L boot which is widened to 1300mm, and a new infotainment unit with an 8.0in touchscreen in upper variants.
Without parking the 2019 Forester next to a previous-gen version, you might not believe much has changed, but there’s a significantly better SUV lurking behind the new Forester’s endearingly familiar face.