SUBARU FORESTER E-BOXER

WHAT IS IT?

Now in its 5th generation, the latest Forester remains Subaru’s top-selling model in the UK and comes to the UK with a completely new powertrain which combines an electric motor with two of Subaru's core technologies: the horizontally-opposed Boxer engine and Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. It’s now built on Subaru’s Global Platform, a cutting-edge re-design of the body and chassis which is said to offer a more dynamic driving experience.

ON THE ROAD

Comfy, very comfy. Switching to Subaru’s Global Platform means that the body strength has been increased by 40% compared to the outgoing Forester, allowing the frame structure to absorb more energy in the event of a collision, and the more rigid framework reduces noise and vibration while contributing to more responsive steering, and it works a treat.

I don’t remember being connected with the outgoing model as I do with this, it has a much nicer ride. Hit a speed bump a little too quick in a ‘normal’ car and you’re greeted with a thud. In the Forester however and you glide over it, it felt very softly sprung, just the sort of thing you expect from a car that’s often seen living in the countryside with atrocious road surfaces. I’d say it handles road imperfections better than a softly sprung coiled Range Rover, yet doesn’t wallow around corners making your passengers feel sea sick, it’s all very civilised. The Forester also has a fairly lofty driving position, which is nice to step in and out of.

As we all know by now, CVT gearboxes aren’t generally the sharpest tools in the shed, but just like the Levorg I had the week previous, what they lack in sportiness they more than make up for in smoothness, and unless you drive it like a sports car I found the CVT gearbox suits the Forester just fine.

OFF ROAD

You can’t fault a Subaru when it comes to driving on the rough stuff, your only limitations are tyre grip, clearance and your own confidence. And, did you know that Subaru has sold more 4x4s globally than any other motor manufacturer, and the average Subaru will have travelled 8 times around the world in its lifetime? Some random facts for you there.

During our week together I took the Forester along some gnarly green lanes, then went out with Mike and Andy from Storm Jeeps, as you can read about in last months magazine. If it was let down by anything it was its low approach angle, though it has 220mm ground clearance.

New for Forester e-BOXER is that X-MODE now has two modes: Snow/Dirt for use on slippery road surfaces such as snow or dirt, and Deep Snow/Mud for surfaces where the tyres can become buried. A dial switch has been adopted to make it easier to switch between the two modes which is particularly helpful when trying to free the tyres if you’re stuck. In X-Mode, Motor Assist activates from standstill to generate earlier torque and acceleration to further improve off-road ability.

In execution X-Mode it did a sterling job of climbing rutted and slippery tracks, as well the usual balancing act on its two opposing wheels.

INTERIOR

In the previous Forester, I disliked the manual handbrake that dug into my left thigh, and I really hated the narrow front seats. That’s changed, the new model is a smidge wider and longer than the outgoing one, both on the outside and inside which equates to improved passenger comfort. I don’t know if the seats are wider, they feel it, and now both the driver and front passenger seats are 8-way power adjustable. It also has an electric handbrake, so simply sitting and getting comfortable is a much nicer experience.

There’s also an intuitive 8" multifunction colour touchscreen that’s easy to use and contains Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™, DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity.

In addition to heated front seats, XE Premium is equipped with heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel.

With a tall roof, and a lot of glass it exudes roominess. It has 520 litres of openness with the rear seats in place, and 1,779 litres with them folded flat.

ENGINE ‘N’ GEARBOX

The new e-Boxer comprises of a naturally aspirated 2.0 litre flat-four petrol engine, a compact lithium-ion battery pack and a gearbox-mounted electric motor that gives it a combined output of 148bhp and 196Nm of torque. Power-split adjusts according to the driving condition and alternates between 3 driving modes: EV driving, Motor Assist driving and Engine driving. The battery is said to work up to 25mph, but in my experience it switched off around 15mph.

While a claimed emissions figure of 154g/km is reasonable, I found that its fuel consumption was around 32mpg. To be fair it was around 32mpg during long journeys, short journeys and green-laning!

TECH

Wow, seriously, where do I begin? Well, for starters, did you know that Subaru has been voted Best Manufacturer for Safety Features in the 2019 Driver Power Survey?

As well as Subaru’s wonderful EyeSight driver assist technology, it also has their Driver Monitoring System, which means that if the driver looks out of the window or across at a passenger for an extended period of time, the system will recognise that you’re not facing forward and a warning sound will, well, sound. The system will also function if it identifies that the driver is drowsy.

What is EyeSight driver assist technology? Using two stereo cameras which are mounted either side of the rearview mirror it monitors for hazards up to 110 metres ahead and includes: Adaptive Cruise Control, Pre-Collision Braking, Pre-Collision Throttle Management, Lane Sway and Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist and Lead Vehicle Start Alert.

Subaru Rear Vehicle Detection identifies vehicles approaching from the rear. It offers three main functions to improve visibility and to help minimise common causes for accidents: Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

Reverse Automatic Braking uses sensors mounted in the rear bumper to detect obstructions when reversing. The driver is alerted to any identified obstructions with audible warnings and an image from the reversing camera on the touchscreen. If there is a high possibility of collision, the system applies the brakes to help avoid or reduce the severity of a collision. Amusingly, this works when reversing onto a field with long grass!

CONCLUSION

This time ‘round I really enjoyed my week with the Forester, but that doesn’t mean I disliked the previous one, it’s just that this new one is better. It feels better, it drives better and looks better, too. Priced from £35,995 OTR, Forester e-Boxer is available in eight colours and is in dealerships now.