Subaru launches all-new Forester in Taiwan

TAICHUNG, Taiwan—Subaru, together with Motor Images Enterprises Inc., part of the Tan Chong International Limited Group and led by Glenn Tan, managing director, unveiled the latest Subaru Forester ES1 model to the Asean region motoring journalists.

This is the third new model from the brand underpinned by the Subaru global platform or SGP, dubbed the $1 billion-platform due to the cost of development.

The new platform made its debut in 2017 with the Impreza sedan, followed by the XV compact crossover, and now, the Forester, Subaru’s volume seller in the Asean.

The all-new Forester is bigger, roomier, wider and more refined than its predecessor, with huge emphasis placed particularly on comfort and safety, as the brand tries to position itself into a mainstream active lifestyle model with a huge emphasis on safety and security.

Though the all-new Forester has yet to undergo any proper NCAP (new car assessment program) crash test assessment for Asean, Australia, Japan and Europe, Subaru representatives at the event are confident that the all-new Forester will exceed the requirements to gain a full 5-star crash test rating from the various NCAP bodies.

As underpinned in the new Forester, the SGP platform offers 40 percent greater crash absorption than its predecessor, and offers 50 percent less roll due to a stiffer, safer and more rigid chassis—which should provide greater comfort and refinement as well.

The Forester also displays Subaru’s four core technologies: the Subaru global platform as mentioned; a symmetrical all-wheel drive that provides sure-footed stability and response especially on adverse road and weather conditions; the direct-injection FA20 boxer engine that has been tweaked to deliver better immediate response despite still delivering the same 156 hp and 194 Newton meters of torque; and the full suite of Subaru’s driver assist safety technology known as EyeSight.

EyeSight consists of a series of radars and cameras that continually monitor the surroundings and helps keep the vehicle clear of danger.

Standard across all Foresters (and eventually, all Subaru models and variants) are three key technologies: pre-collision braking and throttle management, which automatically modulates throttle and brakes the vehicle to avoid a front-end collision; lane sway and departure warning, which helps keep drivers on their lane; and adaptive cruise control and lead vehicle start alert, which maintains a safe distance from vehicles ahead by modulating speed, and braking the vehicle as necessary, and even when coming to a full stop, will automatically accelerate again to a pre-determined speed to make journeys as safe and as efficient, not to mention as quickly as possible.

Of course, blind spot monitoring is standard as well.

Aside from the active safety systems, seven airbags come as standard, as well as traction and stability control (VDC), torque vectoring, and ABS-EBD brakes with brake assist.

There is also a new hill-hold mode that prevents cars from rolling backwards on a steep incline, as well as hill descent control that maintains a pre-set speed to traverse a steep slope while allowing the drive to simply focus on the steering.

Subaru’s highly impressive and effective X-mode has received a special upgrade as well, allowing the Forester to tackle even more slippery and dangerous terrain.

Special X-mode disables the traction control, allowing the Forester to escape very sticky and slippery deep mud and snow conditions, and making it even more capable than its predecessor.

Inside, a more premium and sophisticated interior greets occupants. Soft and supple leather, a large LCD screen housing the infotainment system, a large glasshouse area, and new soft-touch materials enhance the premium feel.

There are USB ports for the rear passengers, as well as A/C vents, and a one-touch button for the rear tail-gate to make loading and unloading of big, heavy, bulky gear easier.

We had a chance to try the Forester on both paved surface and off roads, and the Forester excelled.

The paved section testing was done at Lihpao Kart Track, an FIA-certified, high-speed and technical track.

The Forester was impressive during dynamic transitions. Despite a generous amount of body roll, chassis control and steering responsiveness was excellent all throughout.

The symmetrical all-wheel drive system kept understeer and oversteer at bay, and torque vectoring helped the Forester negotiate a very tricky and very slippery hairpin curve at almost full throttle with no drama.

Competitors from Mazda (CX-5) and Honda (CR-V) which we were also given a chance to drive, to compare with the Forester, had either a little bit of oversteer or understeer but the Forester cornered like a pro, hitting its clipping points and exiting tidily.

Off-road, and the Forester excelled as well. We went through a series of moguls which would lift two diagonal tires off the ground, demonstrating Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive’s ability to apportion torque to the wheels that had contact on the road. The test also highlighted the large amount of suspension droop or travel available, and the inherent rigidity of the SGP platform in extreme off-road use. A steep 20-foot hill was artificially constructed to highlight the Forester’s Hill-Hold Ability and Hill Descent Control, followed by a modest 600mm water crossing to highlight the Forester’s flood wading ability. The last off-road test was a slalom through rally style dirt roads, which showed the Forester’s impressive individual wheel articulation at speed and once again, its inherent chassis rigidity on poor roads.

There will be four variants available, with expected deliveries starting in January of 2019, with mostly interior trim being the differentiating factors. All will be powered by the same engine and Lineartronic HD CVT transmission, plus EyeSight and the rest of safety equipment standard across the four model range. It is just quite sad that Subaru has decided to remove the turbocharged engine variant, as the SGP platform is so capable, it can easily handle twice the horsepower and torque figures, along with a firmer suspension and grippier, more capable high-performance tires. The enthusiast in me will miss the turbocharged grunt, but value-seeking consumers will most definitely appreciate the raft of upgrades of improvements now available on the all-new Forester. And with 70% of the market locally opting for the normally-aspirated variant, Subaru will have a massive sales success with the all-new Forester.