Subaru Forester – At the New York International Auto Show, Subaru unveiled the all-new Forester. Expected to hit Australian shores in September this year, there have been some significant changes to the top-selling model.
The Forester will be the third model transitioned onto Subaru’s Global Platform (SGP) which has seen Impreza and XV sales increase dramatically. The SGP enhances comfort, safety and driveability, a proven hit among buyers and journalists alike.
Most notably, there will be no turbo, diesel or manual variants. Instead, the all-new Forester will be powered by a newly-enhanced direct-injection 2.5-litre horizontally opposed, normally aspirated, four-cylinder Boxer engine. Subaru Australia say’s this engine is comprised of around 90% new components, so we can expect exciting things from this engine. All variants will come with CVT.
The biggest addition looks to be the introduction of Subaru’s new Driver Management System (DMS) that enhances safe driving by providing a warning when it detects signs of distraction or drowsiness at the wheel. This will no doubt contribute to what Subaru Australia expects will be a 5 star ANCAP safety rating, along with the latest generation EyeSight technology and reverse automatic braking.
A bigger boot with an opening width of 1,300mm and an optimised rear door opening angle will likely prove to be a big tick for families and adventurers.
Occupant comfort has clearly been front of mind and Subaru has paid attention to those sitting in the rear seats. There will be three separated pockets in the seat backs provide convenient storage for magazines, tablets, smartphones, etc and well as USB charger points for front and rear passengers. A big must for any long trip!
The DMS, incorporated for the first time in Subaru vehicles, also allows exact adjustment of temperature controls, for in-cabin comfort according to the number of passengers. It also automatically adjusts driver settings for seat position, door mirror angles, and air-conditioning preferences. Now that’s personalised comfort!
An 8″ infotainment screen will house the latest system and feature Apple CarPlay and Andriod Auto.
Off-road, the all-new Subaru Forester gets optimised X-Mode (which controls engine, transmission, and brakes on slippery surfaces and – in poor driving conditions – improves drivability in off-road conditions and on poor surfaces) and 220mm of ground clearance. Exact entry and departure angles are still to be confirmed, but Subaru Australia say it is the “widest possible”.
We can expect to see more information released later in the year.
MAIN FEATURES OF THE NEW FORESTER (US SPEC)
| Body size (Length x width x height) | 4,625 × 1,815 × 1,730*1 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,670 mm |
| Minimum ground clearance | 220 mm |
| Engine | FA25 2.5-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder DOHC 16 valve AVCS direct injection engine |
| Displacement | 2,498 cc |
| Bore x stroke | 94 × 90 mm |
| Power | 136 Kilowatts / 5,800 rpm |
| Torque | 239 Newtonmetres / 4,400 rpm |
| Fuel tank capacity | 63 L |
| Fuel type | 87AKI |
| Transmission | Lineartronic*2 |
| Drive system | Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive |
| Tyre size | 225/60 R17, 225/55 R18 |
| Passenger capacity | Five seats |
*1 Height not including roof rail: 1,715 mm
*2 Lineartronic: Fully electronically controlled automatic continuously variable transmission