Symetrical All wheel drive
There are plenty of pretenders to the compact SUV throne but most of them are just that: pretenders. The Forester, on the other hand, is the real deal. For starters, all Foresters are equipped with Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive…after all why opt for a front-drive hatchback or wagon masquerading as an SUV when you can head to a Subaru dealer and get the best of both: a vehicle which is the master of not just a tarmac universe.

You can’t really pass muster as an SUV if you’re merely being pulled along and the idea of distributing drive force to all four corners is to give the driver maximum confidence and security…and it works for you whether you’re on dirt, towing, or on a freeway made slick  from the first rains. If you buy a Forester you get Subaru’s AWD mated to either a six-speed manual on the diesel models, or a five-speed manual with low range (a unique feature in the segment) if you opt for the all-new 2,5-litre petrol engine. A tried and trusted automatic transmission is also available with this engine, designed to take advantage of the broader spread of torque and now available with paddle shift that heighten control both on and off road.

Finally, there’s the dramatically-styled and turbocharged  Forester S, which has a five-speed automatic designed to accentuate its sporty character. The drivetrain is fitted with Subaru’s Variable Torque Distribution which means it is capable of sending 80 percent of torque rearward in the blink of an eye.

Boxer Engine
If you’d expect to find a horizontally-opposed Boxer engine under the bonnet, you’d be right. The current line line-up personifies the current state of the art in engine design for a brand which remains engineering-driven. Since early 2011 petrol-powered Foresters have been equipped with an all-new engine which maximises driveability while minimising fuel consumption and emissions. 

Part of this is achieved by using direct fuel injection, which along with Active Valve Control System and lightweight, low-friction internals helps you to squeeze every ounce of energy out of each litre of fuel. And if all that energy is transferred into power, it means there’s precious little to come out the exhaust – it’s a win-win!

Fancy a turbodiesel, and who doesn’t nowadays? Subaru’s Boxer Diesel – the first horizontally-opposed turbodiesel four cylinder engine in the world designed specifically for a passenger vehicle application – is that option. Clever design and the inherent smoothness of the Boxer layout make it the strong, silent type, and with a diesel particulate filter fitted as standard its CO2 emissions are just 168 g/km. It also achieves a rated fuel consumption of 6.4 l/100 km.

A compact SUV with superhatch performance isn’t commonplace but at Subaru we plead different…so the S model gets a turbocharged 2,5-litre and with 193 kW and 347 Nm we can safely say family motoring will never be the same again.

Transmission
The Forester’s cabin is primarily about one thing: creating an environment where the driver can go about his business in the most effective way, whether it be a drive to the shops for a Lotto ticket or a trip to see the snow on the Drakensberg’s highest peaks.

Being in full control all the time is the essence of safety so a comfortable and commanding driving position which allows all the controls to be operated easily is imperative. The steering column adjusts for height and distance so that the perfect relationship between man (or woman) and machine can be achieved. Ancillary controls on the steering column, generously-proportioned exterior mirrors, cruise control and Bluetooth compatibility are just some of the features which contribute to maximum control, irrespective of which one of the eight Subaru models you happen to choose.