Hybrid leap
Subaru Forester e-Boxer
Subaru’s sturdy SUV moves with the times with a new platform and drivetrain, writes MATT ALLAN.
Subaru’s Forester has been around for more than 20 years now, offering a practical and rugged leftfield choice long before soft SUVs became the norm.
Those 20 years have seen the Forester evolve across four generations but later this year this all-new fifth generation will go on sale in the UK.
It’s now built on the Subaru Global Platform and is significantly stronger and more rigid than the old model as well as being slightly bigger.
As well as a longer, wider and lower body, the new model brings a hybrid system to Subaru’s European line-up for the first time, featuring a 148bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine and a 10kW electric motor integrated into the transmission.
The small motor is there to supplement the engine rather than offer all-electric running. It will run purely on the motor for short periods and at low speeds before recharging through the engine’s power.
It’s an improvement on the current 2.0-litre. The hybrid motor gives an added slug of torque than aids acceleration and the power delivery is smooth, but the CVT gearbox is still a necessary weakness.
Our early drive of the car was a brief flavour of the new drivetrain and chassis, so proper driving impressions will have to wait. However, a few hours at a testing facility reveal a similar but improved prospect to the outgoing model.
On road it’s certainly more stable and controlled than the current model but it’s still clearly a fairly large, tall and heavy SUV.
A few laps of a pretty tough off-road route reinforced why Subarus are a favourite in rural areas. Its high ground clearance and X-Mode allwheel-drive helping dispatch slippery climbs, mud holes and rutted tracks with ease.
As well as the new drivetrain, Subaru puts a lot of emphasis on the new Forester’s safety credentials. The new platform is stronger and better than ever at protecting occupants but it also comes with a new version of Subaru’s Eyesight driver assist technology.
This uses a two-camera system to provide vehicle, pedestrian and cycle detection, forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking and lane keeping assist.
Enhancing this is rear vehicle detection that will stop you changing lanes if it detects a fast-moving vehicle approaching.
Practical changes to the new model include a wider boot aperture, wider-opening rear doors, an improved internal step for access to the roof rails.
The longer, lower and wider Forester offers improved interior space all round and the boot remains a decent 530 litres despite the hybrid battery.
As well as being more spacious, the interior is a step up in quality over the old one. It’s not revolutionary but it’s simpler and the materials look better, while feeling built to last a lifetime.
That robustness is key to the Forester’s appeal. Not only does it feel like it will cope with a genuinely active, outdoorsy life but it has the mechanical abilities to back that up.
The e-Boxer drivetrain is hardly a revolution - official estimates are that it improves economy by 10 per cent and its performance is still decent rather than spectacular - but it and the rest of the changes mark a gradual but worthwhile improvement on the previous model.