Forester Rebooted

The 2019 Subaru Forester will land on dealer floors in December. It’s bigger, smarter, more luxurious, safer, theoretically better off-road and in many ways, more comfortable. But it only gets a two-litre petrol boxer engine, coupled to Subaru’s continuously variable transmission. We took the all-new Forester on a 3 500km road trip.

- Danie Botha

SUBARU used to be like boxing hood Mike Tyson: rough around the edges, brash, maybe not the most refined but packing one heck of a punch.

Think older generation Impreza WRX STis. Shoddy interiors, oversized, brash wing, golden wheels... but when that turbocharged boxer engine started boosting and the symmetrical all-wheel-drive system sorted the grip out, ah, it was pure motoring bliss.

The brand’s successful campaigns in the World Rally Championship (WRC) added further impetus to Subaru’s fast-car, supercar-slaying reputation. But times change, of course.

When Subaru pulled out of the WRC and passenger car sales in the United States started picking up, there was a shift in focus in Subaru’s Japanese headquarters. A shift away from big wings and golden wheels to more refined, family-oriented all-wheel-drive cars.

A solid reputation for mechanical reliability, plenty of practicality and safety, highly capable all-weather capability thanks to the brand’s Symmetrical AWD, competitive pricing strategies and – importantly – a patently sporty drive for all models ensured Subaru became a topselling brand in the US. The rise of Subaru there has been a record-setting one. In 2017, the company sold nearly 650 000 vehicles in the States, a 5.3% increase over 2016.

The brand’s huge success in the American market has, inevitably, had an influence on the future of all Subaru model line-ups. For one, the seven-seat Subaru Ascent – a first for Subaru – recently went on sale in the US. Essentially tailor-made for that market, the Ascent looks set to be yet another sales hit.