What they said when the Subaru Forester was new… (Dec 6 2002)
SUBARU'S latest incarnation of the Forester has picked up an award for offering the best compromise between on and off road ability.
It is an important accolade for the sports-utility vehicle, which clinched the award in the face of tough competition from the Land Rover Freelander, Honda CR-V and a host of other 4WD contenders.
Judged by a combination of automotive researchers and journalists in its native Japan, the Forester was praised for its convenient and practical body size, comfortable ride on tarmac, and handling precision off road.
It also picked up points for its 190mm ground clearance and on-road stability created by the low centre of gravity of the boxer engine.
The accolade follows Subaru's recent announcement of better-value prices and lower insurance costs for the new vehicle. Despite extra equipment, it costs £20,745 for the turbocharged 2.0-litre XT model, which is the same price as the previous Forester S-Turbo.
The range now starts at £16,195 for the Forester 2.0 X, up by £700, with the higher-spec 'All Weather Pack' model costing £17,995, which is a £245 increase. Automatic versions are £1,000 extra as before.
However, equipment levels are much higher with, for example, the addition of climate-control air-conditioning for the 2.0-litre X and alloy wheels for the 'All-Weather Pack'.
This is in addition to costly new features, including active front head-restraints, a dual-stage passenger airbag, rear limited-slip differential, remote central-locking with shielded deadlocks, and a Thatcham Category One alarm/immobiliser.
The security upgrades, plus easier-to-repair accident-damage parts, have led to lower insurance costs for the new car.
The ABI says that the Forester XT is classified at 15D instead of 17D, and the Forester X is in group 11A compared to 12D/13D for the previous Forester base and 'All Weather Pack' model.
The Forester also now leads the petrol SUV class for fuel consumption and emissions, despite featuring full-time all-wheel drive.
For example, the Forester 2.0 X manual is 4.5 mpg better than before on the extra urban cycle at 42.2 mpg and has a CO2 figure of 204 g/km. It means that for 2002/3, company car drivers will be taxed at 22 per cent of the car's value under the new benefit-in-kind rules, instead of 27 per cent for the previous Forester. The 2.0 XT also has better economy and lower emissions, plus the appeal of a 174 bhp engine, giving genuinely unrivalled performance for a sport utility vehicle in this class, with a 0-60 mph time of 7.9 seconds, and top speed of 125 mph for the manual model.
There are distinctive new lights, a completely redesigned interior with better quality materials, and some important mechanical improvements.
One of the heaviest parts of any vehicle is its bonnet, which in the case of the new Forester is aluminium to save weight. There is also lightweight suspension, which all
helps to achieve the improved economy.
Engines are the standard 123bhp two-litre and the 174bhp turbocharged version, with a choice of five-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmissions.
Although the Forester had a relatively easy life in the beginning, the market is suddenly awash with such vehicles. In terms of developments and improvements, car companies are increasingly finding to their cost that they are either quick or dead.
The new Forester is certainly an improvement over the previous model, and is just what is needed to regain the lead it has lost to some of its newer rivals in recent months.
The interior is more aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly, with restyled instruments and better adjustment to enable the driver to get comfortable. Air conditioning becomes standard, as does self-levelling rear suspension, plus the limited-slip differential for the four wheel drive system.
Although unavailable with a diesel option, the standard two-litre petrol unit is willing enough, with acceleration to 60mph in 11 seconds, a top speed of 110mph, and average economy of 33mpg.
In this latest guise the Forester regains the ground it lost as newer models hit the market. So far this year Subaru's sales are down by about 16 per cent, but last month they suddenly soared by more than a third, coincidentally with the arrival of this all-important new model range.
Words: Steve Hughes
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