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| Photos by Ulysses Ang |
The Filipino car buyer is increasingly
becoming picky. In the olden times, whether you wanted a basic sedan, a
pick-up, or a luxury sedan, as long as it’s got four wheels, you’ll end up with
a Toyota. Now,
there are more than half a dozen mainstream brands, each one promising its own
breed of ownership experience; be it bulletproof build or driver-centric
handling. Subaru is one of these new players. After initially offering just
rally-bred, turbocharged machines, Subaru is now taking their act to Main Street Manila.
And today, not a day goes by without seeing at least one car with the Star of
Pleiades badge upfront.
One of the star attractions (pardon the pun) is the Subaru Forester. Though it was always lumped together with the rest of the compact crossovers, it was always a leftfield choice. That was, until the current model came about. Going back to the drawing board, Subaru designers have shunned the “mutated wagon” look and went for something more conventional and mainstream. Now, the Forester is now closer to that of a traditional compact crossover with its long hood and boxed up body. But thankfully, Subaru designers have thrown in the family design cues such as the hood scoop, eagle-eye headlights, and egg crate grille to avoid obscurity. Knowing the palatability of the Forester’s design to the vast majority of buyers, Subaru kept the facelift to a mild level last year. In fact, the changes were limited to the grille (larger, matte-finished holes), tS edition-style spoiler, and side mirrors with integrated turn indicators.
The lack of on-road presence (at least in
stock form) is perhaps the only criticism you can level at the Forester,
because the rest of the car is downright awesome.
Getting in and out requires a bit of a step
up because of the Forester’s thickened door sills (an integral pat of Subaru’s
C-shaped reinforced crash safety structure). It’s not discontenting, but those
who’re used to sliding in and out of their seats and onto the pavement may find
it a chore. The seats aren’t mounted as high as other compact crossovers, but
the driver’s seat does have a power height adjustment for a more mainstream
feel. The seats themselves are finished in leather and are supportive, even for
long drives. The rear occupants will also enjoy a “theatre seating” arrangement
where they sit slightly higher than those in the front.
The Forester’s dash is pretty
straight-forward. The materials aren’t as soft to the touch, but the fit and
finish are still very good. The swept wing motif doesn’t just make for a dramatic
statement but allows for the excellent placement of buttons and controls. Plus,
the Forester is well equipped. For instance, the Forester has a dual-zone
climate control which cools the cabin quite well. And when the weather’s good,
the Forester allows a bit of nature to enter the cabin via the large moon roof.
As for entertainment, the Forester takes both a step backward and forward.
Backward because the 2012 model loses the 6-disc CD changer and 7-speaker
system of the 2009 model in favor of a single CD and 4-speaker set-up. And
forward, because USB and iPod connectivity is now standard as is a Bluetooth
hands-free phone system. The overall sound is clear, but it’s not
chest-thumping powerful. Thankfully, owners can opt to purchase door sail mounted
tweeters (it’s prewired for them) and an under seat subwoofer.
Other nice touches to the Forester include
steering wheel switches with a mute button (long press of the Mode button) that
also pauses a CD track or the iPod when pressed. All the controls glow a sporty
red hue at night including the new gauges which are a hundred times better than
the old one which was very “Christmassy”. The new gauge cluster also includes a
temperature gauge and an instantaneous fuel economy meter.
Under the hood, the Forester XT enters the
new model year with an unchanged engine. And why fix if it isn’t broke? Like
before, the P 1.758-million price tag largely goes to the smooth, quiet, and
powerful engine. Power delivery is also very linear thanks to a combination of
a generous 2.5 liters of displacement as well as a turbocharger. All in all,
the Forester pushes out 230 horsepower with a faint whoosh from the waste gate at higher revs. The Forester may only
have a four-speed gearbox, but the wide power band of the engine is well
matched to the transmission. As expected, city fuel economy isn’t one of the
Forester’s strong suits averaging 7.59 km/L. On the highway, things get better
going up to 9.52 km/L. These figures aren’t too far from the Forester 2.0’s 7.7
km/L in the city and 9.96 km/L on the highway.
The Forester rides on the sportier side of
the crossover equation without being harsh. By mounting the suspension on a
sub-frame, the Forester quells even the worst of road ruts and reduces road
noise transmission into the cabin. Plus, it feels as if the Forester has
unlimited suspension travel as it goes through the various jungle roads of
Metro Manila. With a 225-mm ground clearance and a shielded engine compartment,
the Forester is also quite capable of going through flooded streets. Sadly,
interior rattles seem to plague this 12,000-km test drive unit.
In terms of handling, the Forester still
doesn’t feel as Teutonic as it should. Because of the softer suspension set-up,
the Forester shows a bit of body roll, but it manages to feel glued and secure.
Subaru’s Vehicle Dynamic Control System (VDCS) is standard, but the mechanical
grip is such on a high level, that stability control is almost never used
despite some spirited driving. The steering effort is nicely weighted and the
brakes bite very well too. All in all, the Forester XT feels mature on the
road, but fun enough when taken to the track.
The Subaru Forester isn’t a wagon version
of an Impreza WRX. Nonetheless, it
offers a formidable blend of performance, practicality, and comfort that’s
largely unmatched by anything close to or even double its price. And as far as
compact crossovers go, the Forester is now at the top-of-mind of potential
buyers. Subaru may be going mainstream, but it’s still managing to produce vehicles
with the very same DNA that produced rally-bred winners.
2012 Subaru Forester XT
|
|
| Ownership | 2.5 XT |
| Year Introduced | 2009 (Facelifted 2011) |
| Vehicle Classification | Compact Crossover |
| The Basics | |
| Body Type | 5-door crossover |
| Seating | 5 |
| Engine / Drive | F/AWD |
| Under the Hood | |
| Displacement (liters) | 2.5 |
| Aspiration | Turbocharged |
| Layout / # of Cylinders | Flat 4 |
| BHP @ rpm | 230 @ 5,200 |
| Nm @ rpm | 320 @ 2,800 |
| Fuel / Min. Octane | Unleaded / 95~ |
| Transmission | 4 AT |
| Cruise Control | Yes |
| Dimensions and Weights | |
| Length (mm) | 4,560 |
| Width (mm) | 1,780 |
| Height (mm) | 1,700 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2,615 |
| Curb Weight (kg) | 1,525 |
| Suspension and Tires | |
| Front Suspension | Independent, MacPherson Strut |
| Rear Suspension | Independent, Double Wishbone |
| Front Brakes | Vented Disc |
| Rear Brakes | Disc |
| Tires | 225/55R17 |
| Wheels | Alloy |
| Safety Features | |
| Airbags | 6 |
| Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS) | Yes |
| Traction / Stability Control | Yes |
| Parking Sensors | No |
| Exterior Features | |
| Headlights | HID |
| Fog Lamps | Front, Rear |
| Auto Lights | No |
| Auto Wipers | No |
| Interior Features | |
| Steering Wheel Adjustment | Tilt/Telescopic |
| Steering Wheel Material | Leather |
| Seating Adjustment | Electric (driver) |
| Seating Surface | Leather |
| Folding Rear Seat | Yes, 60/40 |
| On-Board Computer | Yes |
| Convenience Features | |
| Power Steering | Yes |
| Power Door Locks | Yes |
| Power Windows | Yes |
| Power Mirrors | Yes, with Fold |
| Climate Control | Yes |
| Audio System | Stereo CD MP3 Aux USB |
| No. of Speakers | 6 |
| Steering Wheel Controls | Yes |
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