Subaru Boxer Diesel Forester and Impreza unveiled in Paris
September 6, 2008 by Anthony Crawford
– Anthony Crawford
Forester sales in Australia are going through the roof. August 2008 sales of the ever-popular compact SUV pulverised every competitor in the class.
Even Toyota’s super successful RAV4 took a hiding with just 922 units sold against Forester’s 1,534 sales.
Subaru Australia would be over the moon as they held a 23.3 percent market share in the category, with Toyota managing just 14.0 percent.
And it’s about to get even better for them, at least in Europe, with the unveiling of their highly acclaimed 2.0 litre Boxer Diesel engine powered Forester and Impreza five-door ranges at the Paris Motor Show, in October.
We’re not sure when Australia will see the world’s first horizontally opposed diesel engine, but we hope its sooner rather than later, given its stellar performance and fuel efficiency benefits.
The Forester 2.0D produces 108kW (145hp) at 3,600 rpm and 350Nm at 1,800 rpm with astonishing fuel economy to boot. You’ll be hard pressed to find any SUV than can better the 5.2 litres/100km combined figure.
It also attracts a big “green” tick too, pushing out just 167g/km CO2 emissions clearly benefiting from a Subaru designed closed-type particulate filter.
But while the engine might be new to the Forester and Impreza line up, it has been employed in Europe under the bonnet of the Legacy (Liberty in Australia) and Outback, since earlier this year. Both vehicles will feature a standard six-speed manual gearbox. There is no mention of an auto box which will obviously limit sales although, it must be said, most Europeans (that’s both sexes) are competent with a manual shift.
It’s hats off to the Subaru engineers for achieving what many said couldn’t be done with the lightweight Boxer set up.
Although the blocks are the same, every other part of the engine structure, including the fuel-injection system, had to be strengthened to accommodate the higher forces of diesel compression.
While the engine is said to be noisy at idle (show me a small diesel that isn’t) Subaru say it has rolling sound levels to 70.5 decibels, which is said to be lower than that of a Rolls Royce Phantom.
While that sounds impressive, it s not quite a fair comparison given the Rolls is powered by a 6.75 litre V12 monster. Still that sort of dB level is class leading.
Tags: Subaru Boxer Turbo Diesel, Subaru Forester, Subaru Impreza
*****PRIMO!*****
Wonder if this t/diesel can be fitted with a BOV?
Still to much doofdoofdoof for mine…
Cheers
F-0
Congratulations must go to Subaru for listening to the consumers who wanted a diesel engine & with the claimed fuel figures it should sell well. Overall, Subaru make very good quality cars & the new diesel engine will complement their range.
Cheers !
Subaru please put an auto in your line-up!
VW Tiguan will get a run for it’s money if Subaru can option an auto. Better power, torque and fuel efficiency than the Tig!
Subaru will be on to a winner if they can get this thing over to Australia soon. diesel and 6speed manual addresses some of its existing issues.
does the 6 speed manual still have dual range?
before you buy a forrester,make sure your happy with the lightness of the door/tailgate panels and bonnet(very light),and the fit and finish….
Frugal One and Jekyl and Hyde….grumps!
Acknowledge a mega success that this is….the tech in engine is amazing and who cares for you indifferent self centred love of Toyota or whoever you support. Hey I like and so do customers! With diesel it will only snowball more sales as major fuel efficency improvement and low greenhouse gas emissions. Best you can come up with is supposed tinny doors or what not….obviously you have not seen a Hiace or Yaris with tobacco thin metal! Get over your comments as hollow at best!
Just like clockwork!
Watch as the fickle subaru owners pop out and defend the brand.
A special breed, honda and subaru owners….
Cheers
F-0
*****OTTAVO!*****
Surely they will have to bring out an auto to expect to compete in the Australian market?
Looking forward to driving the diesel. Hope it keeps dual range. Economy was always an issue with the petrol versions, so this will bust that hassle. Torque figures certainly appeal and torque is available down low. I reckon they’ve provided a great option.
FRUGAL ONE….recall of yours is inept (AGAIN). I drive a BF Falcon LPG ute. That makes me a Ford driver as opposed to your grumpy comments. Maybe is you changed your disposition to Mr Happy and said that its a major step in right direction that a diesel with that technology is unreal and lifts the bar on fuel efficiency and is good for would be buyers – then that would make you smile and be a motor enthusiat. Your report card on your responses belies you and in true fashion hightlights a negative downside on you that makes your comments stench of shyte! Wake up and smell the roses and actually smile in your approach on here as your comments are drivel and mainly down and negative!
I’m intrigued as to how a horizontally-opposed diesel would sound.
Good point Eagle……will suss out GOOGLE as would sound bit meatier and cool me thinks!
PoisonEagle…..you tube Subaru diesel and you can see a couple of reviews….Sounds like a normal diesel from the outside.
“jeykl and hyde”….. Lightness of Bonnet/doors…..aluminium = weight savings moron!
Suspected that is the case but not researched yet….. seems correct!
NM, I must point out that Frugal One recently bought a runout BFII E-gas Falcon ute.
Barneyridge: You are correct. The bonnets and roof panels on the Liberty were aluminium for a fair while. The new Forester gets the same treatment I believe.
I heard they were switching back to steel on some models because aluminium is quite pricey these days.
Blow off valve. hahaha. You have no idea how diesel engines work do you?
Good one for Subaru to have finally put an engine with some torque with fuel economy. It’ll be an interesting car to drive. Too bad Australia misses out for now. I guess they’re testing the waters first.
SteveC
Explains the bench seat fixation.LOL.
Are u creative as well?
Reckon it would sound like a lumpy veedub.
Thank goodness they improved the styling over the first series.
Impressive economy even taking into account the diesel cost differential.
See what they can do with the internal combustion engine when they try.
Seems like a nice engine but lets wait to see what the cost premium is. With the price of diesel you may need to do heaps of miles to get a benefit.
Plus I would not buy this engine if long life is your goal. Sure it may last ages or it may not. It has not been tested. It is still a light weight engine with a turbo. Probably last just as long as the petrol equivalent.
COBRA…..I know as I have a memory.
His comment to me was out there and he should know not direct his comment at me as I drive a Falcon ute.
WOW
Another Falcon Ute owner, we can drive in formation! :-)
Cheers
F-0
Even though its good to see Subaru are expanding their range by offering Diesels; what Subaru really need is to get rid of the poor selling Tribeca and introduce the New Brumby Ute which I’m sure would be far more popular
If it really can get close to 5.2L/100km in the real world, this will be the best choice in this category. 5.2 is almost half of what petrol compact SUV in this segment typically achieve, if the price premium of diesel can be kept at about $2k above the petrol version, this will sell very well indeed.
Quite interested to see if they can offer an auto box if it goes on sale here, seeing as Australian prefer auto in number of cars sold. Let’s hope it won’t be the ancient 4 speed auto from the petrol variant, Subaru really needs to give it a 5sp or 6sp auto. Or pehaps a CVT version won’t be bad either.
Fantastic, just what Subaru needs. The Forester is by far the best car in its category, and Subaru deserves every bit of its success…although even if I do think the previous model was better.
A boxer diesel is already a winner in the Legacy (European Markets) – so it will be good to see how much of an impact this Forester makes.
By the way, what silly remarks are coming from this article. Petrol Forester has a bad fuel consumption?? Umm no, best in class…9.6L and thats with AWD and capabilities much better than an ordinary station wagon.
-ds
Yes Tim I fully agree!
Re the sound of the boxer diesel, look it up on youtube heaps of videos of the boxer diesel and its sound idling and revving.
Theres also one of the speed during acceleration, it looks like a rocket ship!
YES BARNEY,I KNOW ABOUT ALUMINIUM,AND I AM NOT SAYING IT’S A BAD CAR.WHAT I AM POINTING OUT IS IF YOU LIKE THE IDEA OF SOLID BODY PANELS(AND HATE SHOPPING CARPARK DINTS)DO WILL DO WELL TO AVOID IT…..YOU GUYS DON’T KNOW CAUSE YOU YOU AIN’T TRIED ONE YET(TINNY??)
Hi Tim,
I dont know what the MY09 Foresters real world (as distinct from test) fuel consumption is but I can tell you my MY99 AWD impreza seems to use more than what I was expecting.
Its a 2 litre with dual range (so even more transmission loss than normal manual)
I average about 9.5 to 10 litres/100km around town and about 8 on the freeway. I never really hoon at all.
I recently got a best-ever 100% highway figure of 7.6l/100k and that was Syd to Jindabyne with cruise on the whole way and no traffic. I guess thats pretty good.
The latest wheels mag has a soft roader mega-test and the suby NA 2.5 litre auto chews about 10.6 or something similar over their combined test.
I reiterate that the diesel will be a winner if it averages only 5.2l/100k That means it will probably chew about 4.9 on the highway and about 7 in town.
Lets see how it goes with a performance chip and diesel gas fumigation!
Tis a pity Subaru have not gone for this here in Oz. My Forester GT, yes an older model, was written off in Melbourne with a rear ender and I’m seriously looking at the Tiguan Diesel. Too, too late Subaru!