In the interest of honesty, I am a Subaru fan, and have owned a few over the years, so it was a case of ‘when’ not ‘if’ I would drive the new Forester SUV.
The edges might be rounder and the grille sloped for aero effect, but the Forester remains a ‘two box’ design, one for the engine and a bigger one for the cabin and luggage area. This is one of my likes about the car, despite being in its sixth generation, it still looks like a Forester, retaining a core design that continues from model to model.
Yes, I do love the pumped guards, front and rear, pushing the track wider for better handling and stability, as well as looking a little bit tough.
There are plenty of bumps and bulges around the front end for headlamps and fog lights, with a tidy black plastic under-bumper working as a skid guard, it isn’t really a bash plate, when playing off-road.
This is backed by a traditionally clean underbody, with exhausts, drive shafts and steering all tucked into the floor for improved off-road ability.
One complaint was the tailgate, while it opens high, the curved shape does take a bit of height out of the luggage space.
As one of Japan’s early automotive manufacturers, experienced in building aircraft, Subaru’s build quality, fit and finish is outstanding, with tight panel gaps that hold up even under extreme use.
The Forester gets two separate displays, one for the driver, with a 12.3” touch screen in the centre stack infotainment unit, accessible by the passenger and with so many available options it is best to leave it to the co-driver, or ‘set and forget’ before driving off. This includes controlling the 10-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, with amplifier and sub-woofer, as well as satellite navigation and the vehicle set-up screens covering driver assistance, vehicle modes and personal preference settings.
The driver’s unit is set deep into a pod, framed by the small diameter steering wheel, with the advantage of reducing glare and reflection, making it easy to read in all light conditions.
Subaru were early adopters of digital dashes in the 1980s, this continues today with a display that would be home in the latest Airbus.
Menu buttons on the steering wheel face scroll between displays, providing full control of the Forester’s functions, including the SI Drive for Sport and Intelligent transmission modes.
With multi-zone automatic climate control also in the centre stack, it was easy to set the cabin at 23C, relax and enjoy the drive.
Lower down is the transmission selector, twin cup holders, e-brake switch and drive mode controls, everything is functional, but unobtrusive.
Despite being a small-medium SUV, I was comfortable, with plenty of headroom despite the opening glass roof, and decent shoulder and leg room.
Height and reach adjustment of the steering column, along with eight-way power adjustable front seats, allowed me to slide into position, helped by wide-opening doors and good ride height.I had a pair of 16-year-olds in the back for a few trips, with no crowding complaints, the hand-holding might have helped, but two modern child seats for the grandkids certainly filled the space.
Similarly, their pram and stroller needed careful packing to fit the same space that easily held a week’s groceries.
The Forester has the familiar boxer beat, the characteristic rumble of the 2.5-litre petrol turbo motor, just muted, with hybrid drive providing a combined total of 145 kilowatts.
Like most hybrids, the Forester defaults to EV mode on start up, the petrol engine coughs into life momentarily before going into standby mode until needed.
This is where Subaru has made big gains, their first hybrids struggled with power management, the switch between energy sources abrupt and easily detected.
The new generation is a smooth and flexible unit, you can still pick the transition, but it feels more controlled.
Subaru retained the previous CVT, with inherent pros and cons, but the improved driveline works well to overcome the challenges of stop-start traffic, aided by the selectable SI transmission modes, Sport provides an aggressive set of preset ‘ratios’, making the Forester fun to drive.
For highway driving, the CVT cannot be beaten, the Forester lopes along, with increased use of EV mode during constant speed work, while a quick push of the accelerator brings the ICE into play, boosting power for overtaking, hillclimbing or just plain fun.
Inclement weather stopped us going too far off road, but previous experience says in showroom spec, with standard highway-biased tyres, the Forester goes a long way up your favourite track.
Regulations require fitment of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), including a driver attention monitor, the idea is good, but in practice it is too easily triggered by even a glance at the instruments or checking blind spots.
The system can be deactivated on each drive, along with equally agressive lane keeping intervention, while it feels counter-productive, the alternative is a car that is frequently leaping and jumping or flashing warning signals, where none are required.
After a week of the Forester AWD Hybrid Sport, I was ready to park this in my driveway long term, all I had to do was pay for it!
It has its foibles, particularly the aggressive driver assist measures, but it was also a fun machine that proved CVTs can work in traffic, with enough quirks to separate it from the mainstream.
Gary is an experienced motoring journalist, and a graduate of Griffith University.