Hot on the wheels of the STi launch and the 7-seater Tribeca, Motor Image Philippines, the country’s sole Subaru distributor, wowed the crowd at the Isla ballroom of the Shangri-La hotel in Ortigas, when they unveiled yet another one of their rugged all-wheel drive models, the all-new Subaru Forester.
Subaru’s Marketing Manager, Ariel de Jesus, or “Hitman” according to his Facebook profile, confesses that this is their most important model in their line up in terms of volume, which explains why they went all out this time in a launch that had guests still charged up long after the waiters had packed up the buffet and sealed the kegs.
But it wasn’t all hype, either. This is the most radically improved Forester I’ve seen, ever since the nameplate was introduced back in 1997. Gone are the frameless windows and “niche styling”, this all-new Forester has been designed to take the fight right up to the doorstep of the big boys in Santa Rosa, instead of just picking up what used to fall off their table.
It has a far more, err, how do you say, umm, “mainstream” design for starters. This alone should already put it on the same shopping list as an Outlander or CRV. There are also other traces of “mainstream” in the new Forester; it is now 75mm longer, 45mm wider, and 110mm taller than the model it replaces. Also, Subaru has extended the wheelbase by 90mm and ground clearance by as much as 20mm, which should address previous owner’s concerns and give it more credibility as a compact SUV.
One look at the new Forester should already tell you where Subaru are going as a company. They are no longer satisfied with being a niche Japanese brand and are obviously going after market share. This is good news for the bean counters at Fuji Heavy Industries, but a bit of a worry for more than a few Subaru Club members who were knocking back their beers faster than an STi on the new Subic to Clark expressway.
Subaru has always had an extremely loyal following. Almost cult like, actually. And part of that appeal was largely due to the fact that not everyone had one. It was sort of like a well kept motoring secret for only a clued up few. The fear has always been that Subaru will go soft to try and win over the masses. But their fears were eased by Motor Image’s Group Chief Executive, Glen Tan, when he announced that despite its pretty new face, Subaru’s core competence, like the symmetrical all-wheel drive system and the trademarked boxer engine have been left untouched. So they knocked back the beers again to rejoice. Any excuse, really.
The good news is: the Forester seems to have become more family friendly. Or, to put it in another way that more men will understand, easier to justify to the missus. Especially in 2.5 turbo guise. Because laying just beneath that fancy new skin and those multiple cup holders lies the same fire breathing boxer engine that has propelled Cody Crocker and the Motor Image Rally Team to a driver’s and constructor’s championship last year in the Asia Pacific Rally series.
Strangely, though, power seems to be down on the 2.0 model. The spec sheet claims a drop of almost 8 horsepower down to 150ps. This would normally not be too much of a worry, but weight has been bumped up by 25kg. Obviously this has been done to address Euro emission laws, but only a full on test drive will be able to tell whether the Prodrive built, 4-speed automatic gearbox will compensate for the loss.
Inside, the new Forester really steps it up a notch with Subaru’s new “sweeping” interiors that uses plenty of curved lines and rounded edges too create a soothing environment for driver and passengers. The massive sunroof remains, and the steering wheel is still one of the best in the business. Rear leg room has also improved substantially.
It is difficult not to like the new Forester. It is practical, spacious, rugged, plus it has all the pedigree, history, and experience that SUV owners look for all wrapped in a body that could make KC Concepcion envious. Test drives are now available at Motor Image’s headquarters in Greenhills.