Test drive the new Subaru Forester
How not to get confused in "Foresters", what is EyeSight, why the crossover is controlled better than all its classmates and what does it have to do with geese and cows
The route from Tbilisi to Batumi looks more like an obstacle course than an ordinary suburban highway. Here the asphalt and road markings suddenly disappear, old white Mercedes cars periodically fly to the meeting, and geese, cows and pigs jump out of the roadside. A nightmare for Subaru's EyeSight system, the most advanced option in the new Forester.
Actually, the adaptive cruise control and the lane-keeping system are not a sensation for the global automotive industry, but the Japanese decided to combine all electronic assistants. The result is almost an autopilot: the crossover itself maintains a given speed, recognizes obstacles, slows down, accelerates and is able to travel one distance to the car in front. You can even drive without hands, but not for long - after a few seconds the system begins to swear and threatens to shut down.
But EyeSight is revolutionary for the new Forester for a different reason. Previously, the Japanese have never been so proud of electronic gadgets and even, on the contrary, demonstratively resisted market trends. Instead of turbocharged low-volume, naturally aspirated boxer engines are still here, and symmetrical four-wheel drive and variators have already become synonyms for Subaru. Times have changed, and smart electronics are as important to Forester buyers as 220mm ground clearance.
In general, despite the obvious changes in the Subaru coordinate system, the Japanese have rather remained true to themselves. And if for some reason you have never contacted Forester, then you probably have several questions for him:
Subaru is one of the most conservative brands on the planet, so if you're expecting to be pointed at the new Forester, then you definitely need a different car. But it is the classic design that is what Subaru is loved for. If you put three generations of Forester side by side, then it will, of course, be easy to distinguish the new from the old, but no other brand has such a clear continuity.
"Foresters" are similar to each other until the last stamping, but in each generation there is a detail that will give out a novelty. In the latter, of course, these are bizarre lanterns - perhaps the only element with which the Japanese decided to experiment.
The interior of the Forester matches its appearance, that is, it is very restrained. Two large color screens (one is responsible for the readings of the on-board computer; the second is for multimedia and navigation), a classic "climate" unit, a steering wheel overloaded with buttons and a standard tidy with round scales. Don't look for a monitor here instead of a speedometer and a joystick instead of a classic selector - all this is contrary to Subaru's philosophy. The electric parking brake seems to have spoiled the mood of the fans of the brand.
And I understand them: after two days with the new Forester, you realize that it's damn comfortable here. It's almost impossible to find fault with ergonomics. It is also important that apart from the steering wheel with an unthinkable number of buttons (I counted as many as 22) there is nothing superfluous here. But it is full of niches, cup holders and other compartments for small items.
At dinner, a representative of the brand confirmed my guesses: "We are sure that everything in the car should be thought out to the smallest detail, there should not be useless elements or unused technologies."
But this does not mean that the list of options for the Subaru Forester is shorter than that of its classmates - on the contrary, in many positions the Japanese were the first in the segment.
On the go, the Forester is phenomenal. The minimum roll and maximum feedback is not only the merit of the new SGP (Subaru Global Platform) platform, but also the legendary boxer engine with a low center of gravity. On the Georgian serpentines, where you have to not only keep to the trajectory, but at the same time go around deep potholes, the Japanese crossover opened from a completely different side: Forester can drive very fast and can accelerate where classmates begin to nervously slow down.
The Forester's capabilities are limited only by the engine - after the generation change, the two-liter supercharged "four" with a capacity of 241 hp disappeared from the configurator. Now, in the top version, the Japanese offer Forester with a 2,5-liter aspirated (185 hp) and a CVT. It seems that the stated figures are not bad (9,5 s to 100 km / h and 207 km / h maximum speed), but due to the best chassis in the class, dissonance periodically arises: on the Forester you want to accelerate a little faster than the engine can provide.
We discussed the best trajectory on the boulders for about five minutes - it seemed that if you overdo it with the gas or take a little to the left, you could leave the new Forester without a bumper. The head of the Russian office of Subaru, Yoshiki Kishimoto, did not participate in the discussion at all: the Japanese looked around, buckled up, switched to "Drive" and drove straight ahead without slipping. The crossover in turn hung out each of the wheels, slightly hooked the gravel with the threshold and jumped up the hill on three wheels.
It was impossible to compare the new Forester with competitors on the mountain pass, but it seems that no one would have passed here. The Japanese has too good geometry by the standards of modern crossovers: the approach angle is 20,2 degrees, the departure angle is 25,8 degrees, and the ground clearance is 220 mm. Plus, the proprietary system of symmetrical all-wheel drive with a choice of driving modes. Moreover, the Forester is just that case when off-road experience is almost unnecessary: the main thing is not to overdo it with gas, and the crossover will do the rest on its own.
While the price list of the crossover still fits within the segment, but the dangerous edge of $ 32 is already clearly visible. In terms of a set of consumer properties, this is one of the best cars on the market right now, but, alas, it will not become a segment leader in the near future.
| A type | Crossover |
| Dimensions (length / width / height), mm | 4625/1815/1730 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2670 |
| Ground clearance, mm | 220 |
| Curb weight, kg | 1630 |
| Cargo space, l | 505 |
| Engine displacement, cubic meters cm | 2498 |
| Power, h.p. at rpm | 185 at 5800 |
| Max. cool. moment, Nm at rpm | 239 at 4400 |
| Transmission, drive | CVT full |
| Max. speed km / h | 207 |
| Acceleration to 100 km / h, from | 9,5 |
| Fuel consumption (mixture), l / 100 km | 7,4 |
| Price, from USD | 31 800 |
