New Subaru Forester

After 40 years in the Australian market this year, guess which has been Subaru’s most successful badge? While the Liberty has been a strong seller for decades and the WRX has been Subaru’s hero car for many years, the Forester SUV actually has sold the biggest numbers.

And why wouldn’t it?

With Subaru’s own figures showing the SUV market is almost 29 per cent up on last year, the Forester has gone from strength to strength in the past few years as buyers have opted for compact, high-riding station wagons to fill their needs.

Of the almost 170,000 Foresters sold in Australia since the badge’s introduction in 1997, the hottest seller has been the third-generation car; a model about to be superseded by the fourth-gen Forester that goes on sale in Australia on February 1 next year.

An all-new car, the new Forester is bigger than ever and offers a better range of choices in driveline terms.

That in itself reflects the statistics that show as many as 39 per cent of all SUVs are now diesel-engined, while just 8 per cent of the passenger-car market relies on diesel power.

But the new Forester is probably the most far-removed from the jacked-up, conventional station wagon the first model represented.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, of course, but we wonder where that leaves the buyer who wanted a Forester for its versatility but didn’t crave the butch looks of most of the competition.

That said, it still looks like a Forester from most angles, just a mighty big one.

That’s borne out by the Forester’s class-leading ground clearance figure of 220 millimetres. That makes for a pretty high floor (most noticeable in the rear seat) but a low transmission tunnel claws back some ground and the extra overall wheelbase (26 millimetres worth) means there’s loads of rear seat leg- and knee-room.

The new car is also 35 millimetres higher overall, has 31 millimetres more shoulder room in the front, a 20-millimetre wider track and a driver’s eye-point no less than 34 millimetres higher than before.

The luggage space is also usefully large, although not in the same realm as a Nissan X-Trail.

A bigger body usually means a heavier one, and the Forester is no exception. But use of high-strength steel and clever design mean that, depending on model, the weight gain has been pegged to between five and 38 kilograms.

That said, the range-topping diesel model tips the scales at 1600 kilograms.

Subaru’s trademark all-wheel-drive continues but there’s no longer a transfer case with low ratios for off-road work as there was in some versions of earlier cars.

In its place is what Subaru calls X-Mode, an electronic system that makes use of the centre differential, rear differential, brakes and traction control to give controlled descents in steep, low-grip terrain.

The old four-speed automatic has been consigned to history with a new CVT transmission on the 126kW 2.5-litre petrol engine and a six-speed manual on 110kW 2.0-litre petrol variants.

Both gearboxes claim far greater efficiency than before and, in official testing, the new Forester scored a 12.9 per cent fuel-economy boost in 2.5-litre form and a 22.6 per cent gain as a 2.0-litre manual.

A range of refinements to the fuel-injection system has also helped in this department, although the basic architecture of both petrol engines is basically carry-over from the old car.

That applies to the 108kW turbo diesel engine, too, which, with the new six-speed manual, has shaved 1.7 per cent from its fuel consumption number.

The only real problem with the driveline line-up is that neither the 2.0-litre petrol nor the turbo diesel can be had with an automatic transmission, and the off-road oriented X-Mode system is available only on the 2.5-litre petrol model (which comes only with the CVT transmission).

Kicking off the range is the 2.0i followed by the 2.0i-L which adds Subaru’s adaptive SI-Drive to control the engine and transmission behaviour.

Moving up to the 2.5i adds dual zone climate control and X-Mode while the 2.5i-L gets you Subaru’s Eyesight collision-avoidance system, paddles for the transmission and tinted glass. Opting for the 2.5i-S brings a motorised tailgate, powered driver’s seat, huge sunroof, rainsensing wipers, automatic headlights, smart key, satnav and 18-inch alloy wheels.

The base-model diesel also gets dual-zone climate control while the top-rung diesel, the 2.0D-S, mimics the 2.5i-S’s specification.

But regardless of how much you have to spend, all Foresters now get a reversing camera, seven airbags, Bluetooth for both phone and audio, USB connectivity and a full-size spare wheel.

The lack of a two-pedal layout for both the base-model petrol and turbo diesel won’t do the new Forester any favours whatsoever.

It’s not alone in not having a diesel-auto option, but this omission remains to cruel its chances with would-be buyers.

Pricing remains a closely guarded secret with the launch still two months away, but the smart money suggests a small increase on the price of the current Forester, which is between $32,990 and $50,990.

Watch for a more performance oriented turbocharged petrol model a few weeks after the release, which promises a tweaked 2.5-litre version with CVT transmission to appeal to those who want their SUV with added spice.

Fast facts

On sale February 1, 2013
Price TBA
Engines 110kW 2.0-litre 4-cyl petrol/126kW 2.5-litre 4-cyl petrol/108kW 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo diesel
Transmissions 6-sp man/CVT
Fuel economy 7.2 litres per 100 kilometres (2.0L petrol)/8.1L (2.5L petrol)/5.9L (2.0L turbo diesel)
The competitors Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan X-Trail, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4.
What it's got Seven airbags, fullsize spare, Bluetooth, reversing camera.
What's missing Automatic for the base model and turbo diesel.