SUBARU FORESTER E-BOXER
Words by Tommaso Mogge / Photos by Andy Williams
After the juicy preview drives taking place last year, the time has finally come to bring to the office the updated Forester, a whole new generation that combines a fresh design, yet always faithful to the lines of the top of the Subaru food chain with a mechanical compartment that, as we have had the opportunity to test both on the road and away from the asphalt, embraces hybrid technology in the body of a medium/large SUV capable of climbing where a good 90% of the combed competition would wave their white flag. The new Forester is in fact mild-hybrid, it confirms the CVT gearbox and moves the level of its finishes and the overall look of the car even higher.
It is in this way that Subaru manage to accentuate the differences compared to their best seller XV, first of all by not letting two models live closer to the same customers requests and secondly, giving the Forester even more sky to the constellation of the Pleiades that shows off on the front grille, maybe the part that at first glance does not suggest that we are facing the latest generation, aspect that instead at the rear and in the side view leaves no room for doubts. What interested me the most was to know what it would be like to live with it, spend whole weeks of real life and then find it parked in my driveway early in the morning, go to the office, to the supermarket, but also bring it into the middle of nature, natural habitat for every Subaru fitted with symmetrical all-wheel drive.
We have learned something about this kind of hybrid units, so I will not bore you further by pointing out that the small electric motor is positioned inside the gearbox and therefore offers energy where the car requires more, that is, when it starts to move, with the 4-cylinder 2.0-liter that outputs 150 hp that works in such a way as to enhance on-board comfort. Likewise hone an X-mode even more adept at pulling you off muddy, snowy or extremely bumpy trails. The best bit of the series, however, lies in the sum of its parts, with an updated cockpit, a finally improved 8” display and a more precise satellite navigator, always very comfortable seats and noteworthy assemblies all over the place. Yep, there are so many buttons, both on the steering wheel and on the central tunnel, but to my great pleasure the piano black surface has been resized, after all I have always disdained it for how much it was able to collect dust and fingerprints – difficult to keep it as clean as the day you came out of the dealer.
As for the numerous buttons, know that they are pretty much indispensable, perhaps to manage the incredible amount of safety devices that watch over you at 360° (for real), when driving, maneuvering and especially in case of distraction or tiredness on the part of the driver. Then there are the 8 different screens of the smaller upper display from which to monitor the use of the electric motor, traction and everything related to the multimedia system and the on-board computer. Having said that, my midweek coexistence slipped smoothly thanks to a better fuel consumption now at around 7/7.5 l / 100 km and the driving precision offered by a quiet engine that prefers a relaxed drive, at least until I decide to dust off my hiking gear and leave the city behind. If up to now the Forester had behaved well, it really shows its off-road skills thanks to its ground clearance and overhangs allowing you to face difficult terrain and that put the suspensions to the ultimate test, situation in which to respond promptly and absorb the roughness never making you forget to be aboard what still is an SUV.
An SUV that knows what 4X4 really means and that doesn’t mind being put under stress. For example, when the dirt road abruptly stops and becomes a sort of mule track that climbs through the trees. Fitted with standard road tires we climb over stones, exposed roots of centuries old trees and some slimy gravel that especially on the way down shows how the X-mode is the safest and most effective way to get out of situations in which your passengers would never have wanted to spend their weekend. Truth is, everything is way too easy and you almost feel like a skilled off-road driver, but it’s actually the car that deserves to be praised and can’t wait to tackle the road backwards, before hitting the tarmac again, shake off a bit of dirt and blend into the traffic with nonchalance, aware of knowing how to get anywhere with ease. The Forester e-Boxer is available in three different versions – Free, Style and Premium, with prices respectively set at € 35,500, € 38,500 and € 43,000. They hit the mark once again.
SUBARU FORESTER e-BOXER
Layout – front-engined, all wheel drive
Engine – 4 cylinder boxer 1.995cc + electric motor
Transmission – CVT 7-speed automatic gearbox
Power – 150 hp @ 5.600-6.000 rpm
194 Nm @ 4.000 rpm
Weight – 1.656 kg
Acceleration – 11,8 sec.
Top Speed – 188 kph
Price – from € 35.500