Subaru Forester News

A member of the 2013 Australia's Best Cars judging panel says motorists are spoilt for choice right now. Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania general manager of roadside and technical Darren Moody -- who sits on the panel with judges from motorist clubs around Australia -- says new car buyers have access to record low interest rates and are still getting great value for money, despite a recent dip in the value of the Australian dollar.He and the 11 other judges from around the country had been trying to make life even easier for buyers, testing 50 vehicles in 15 categories for the 2013 best car awards.The awards, run by the Australian Automobile Association, involved all the state auto clubs. In October Mr Moody and the other judges spent six days at the Australian Automobile Research Centre at Anglesea in Victoria testing all the vehicles.The judges' choice this year was the Mazda6 Touring, winner of the category for best medium car under $50,000. "It brings premium features to the category," Mr Moody said. There was no winner in the people mover category this year. AAA chief executive Andrew McKellar said it was the first time in the 13 years of the program that an award has been withheld."It's unfortunate that not one vehicle in that class meets the expectations of an Australia's Best Car," he said.Australia's Best Cars 2013Judges' choice: Mazda6 TouringBest light car: Renault Clio Expression TCe 120Best small car under $35,000: Hyundai i30 ActiveBest small car over $35,000: Audi A3 Sportback TFSI CoDBest medium car under $50,000: Mazda6 TouringBest medium car over $50,000: BMW 320iBest large car under $60,000: Holden Commodore VF SV6Best large car over $60,000: Lexus GS350 F SportBest people mover: Award withheldBest sports car under $50,000: Volkswagen Golf GTIBest sports car $50,000-$100,000: BMW M135iBest SUV under $45,000: Subaru Forester 2.5iBest SUV $45,000-$65,000: Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander CRDiBest Luxury SUV over $65,000: Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDIBest all-terrain 4WD under $100,000: Land Rover Discovery 4 TDV6Best 4x4 Dual Cab Ute: Ford Ranger XLRead the full story here. 

You know you're getting old when car comfort is more important than a stoplight sprint. Either that or, like me, you've recently spent too much time with doctors and comfort suddenly becomes the single most important thing in your driving day.I love the Ferrari 458, but right now I would hobble straight past the rip-snorter Italian thoroughbred on the way to a cushy Jaguar XJ limo. It would be the same situation for my first-choice funster, the Porsche Cayman.I've recently driven a race-prepared Fiat 500 Abarth and the pain was almost - almost - worse than the pleasure of romping the pocket rocket around the high-speed swoops and curves of Phillip Island. I was more than happy to slide back into the cushiness of a Chrysler 300 for the drive home, even if the seats in the motown monster don't give as much support as I normally like.The ride back to the airport got me thinking about the strengths and weaknesses of a number of vehicles that have recently passed through the Carsguide garage, focusing on how they make you feel in the body instead of in the head. Every week there are emails to CarsGuide from people of age, asking about upgrading - from a conventional passenger car into something in the SUV style that's easier on the hips and legs at mounting and dismounting time.An SUV can look like a good idea on the comfort front, but lots have bench-flat seats, crappy ergonomics and nowhere near enough suspension compliance. The Subaru Forester has a nice ride, but I prefer the seats in the Toyota RAV4. On the car front, the new Nissan Pulsar has seats that do nothing for me, but the Renault Clio is surprisingly comfy for a little, affordable car.My top favourite seat is a Recaro racing bucket that is almost shrink-wrapped to my shape, like a bathtub full of jelly that provides perfect support. But it's just about the toughest seat to get into or away from. So, right now, the first-choice comfort car is a Range Rover. It's stupidly expensive, but everything works for me, from a body that drops down on its air springs for easy access to beautifully-shaped front buckets finished in lovely leather and even a user-friendly automatic gearbox that means my left leg never has to move out of its comfort zone.This reporter is on Twitter: @PaulWardGover 

None of us wants to crash our shiny new car but, if we do, we want to know we're safe. That's where the Australian New Car Assessment Program's standardised crash-testing analysis is invaluable, providing comparable ratings for vehicles of all types.The ANCAP site notes that a one-star car is twice as likely to kill you as a five-star model. Carsguide examines ANCAP's results to find the best of breed in each segment. It's worth noting the advanced software in some cars that readies the vehicle if a crash is imminent are disabled during the official tests. Cars are scored out of 37 points after the following tests.FRONTAL OFFSET TEST: The subject vehicle is accelerated to 64km/h and rammed into a deformable alloy barrier to simulate a head-on crash. To increase the severity and reproduce real-world conditions only 40 per cent of the car hits the wall - equating to a driver swerving to avoid an oncoming vehicle.SIDE IMPACT TEST: The T-bone hit rams a 950kg trolley into the side of the car at 50km/h. The sled has an alloy face to simulate the front of another vehicle, which deforms and absorbs some of the impact.PEDESTRIAN TEST: Simulates the results of hitting a pedestrian at 40km/h. The test assesses adult and child impacts, given their heads and limbs strike different areas of the car.POLE TEST: This is the most demanding test in the ANCAP repertoire. Trees and poles don't deform, so all the crash energy is transferred to the vehicle. The car is put on a sled and propelled towards a fixed steel pole at 29km/h.SAFEST SMALL CARSAUDI A3 36.41 See reviews of this carOfficially the best small car to occupy in an accident. Impressively, the windscreen pillar didn't move after a 64km/h hit with the concrete block.  HONDA INSIGHT 36.39 See reviews of this carIts score reflects a 3mm movement of the pillar in the frontal offset test and "slight risk" of serious leg injury for driver and passenger.   BMW 1 SERIES HATCH 36.33 See reviews of this carThere's a slight risk of serious chest injury for the driver in the frontal and side crash test and a slight risk of serious leg injury for the passenger in the frontal crash.   SAFEST MEDIUM CARSMERCEDES B-CLASS 36.78 See reviews of this carTops the charts with the highest score of any car in ANCAP database. Technically there's a 4mm movement of the front pillar and a slight risk of injury to the passenger leg closest the door.  BMW 3 SERIES 36.76 See reviews of this carBarely behind. It showed a 1mm movement of the pillar and there was a slight risk of serious injury to the driver's and passenger's legs.VOLVO V40 36.67 See reviews of this carThe only loss of points occurred during the frontal crash test, with a slight risk of serious injury to the front occupants' legs closest the door and the driver's chest.SAFEST LARGE CARSTOYOTA AURION 36.59 See reviews of this carFirst place in this class makes it the only locally built vehicle in any top-three line-up. There's a slight risk of lower leg injury for driver and passenger.   BMW 5 Series 36.53 See reviews of this carNot a bad place to be in the event of an accident either. It blitzed the side impact tests and only lost fractions of points in the head-on hit.    VOLVO S60 36.34 See reviews of this carSweden maintains its safety credentials. The passenger compartment stayed intact with only a 1mm movement of the front pillar.    SAFEST COMPACT SUVS SUBARU XV 35.53 See reviews of this carLike the slightly lower-riding Impreza, the XV scored highly in all crashes, with a slight risk of injury to the front occupants' chests and legs.    HOLDEN TRAX 35.18 See reviews of this carThe surprise packet. One of the smaller cars in the class has only a slight risk of serious leg injury for those in the front in a head-on crash.   Skoda Yeti 34.67 See reviews of this carDepite being one of the older examples in this segment, the Yeti still rates well for safety, with only a slight risk of serious leg injury for those in the front in a head-on crash.    SAFEST MEDIUM SUVSVOLVO XC60 36.53 See reviews of this carANCAP says the cabin 'held its shape extremely well" in the frontal test, with the pillar shifting just 3mm. There was a slight risk of serious chest and leg injuries to the driver.  FORD KUGA 36.33 See reviews of this carA solid second, posing a slight risk of serious chest injury for both front seat occupants. The front pillar moved 15mm.   HONDA CR-V 35.91 See reviews of this carPlaced well despite being penalised for the foot-operated park brake moving upwards and back. Structurally there was only a 2mm movement of the pillar.  SUBARU FORESTER 35.64 See reviews of this carTested this year, it scored highly in all crashes, with a slight risk of injury to the front occupants' chests and legs.   SUBARU OUTBACK 35.52 See reviews of this carFills the brand's quinella. Crashed in 2008 and at the time topped the charts as the safest vehicle ANCAP had tested. SAFEST LARGE SUVSMERCEDES-BENZ ML 36.34 See reviews of this car Luxury SUV has a slight risk of serious chest injury for driver and passenger in the head-on hit and a slight risk of serious leg injury for the passenger. The pillar moved 2mm. RANGE ROVER 36.19 See reviews of this carBig Brit has a slight risk of serious chest injury for the driver and the pillar shifted by 15mm.   NISSAN PATHFINDER 35.73 See reviews of this carSlight risk of serious leg injury for the driver. Unlike the other two, it applies to the upper leg as well as the expected lower-leg hits. Docked points for a marginal pedestrian impact result.

Subaru customers desperate for a diesel automatic Forester will have to wait at least two more years before it arrives in showrooms. Subaru will deliver its first diesel automatic Outback SUV to the first of 300 customers on a waiting list at the end of March. But even though the same diesel engine and automatic transmission fit into the Forester, the engineering work has not begun and would take at least two years to complete. “If it happens, it’s at least two years away,” Subaru Australia boss Nick Senior told News Limited. “We would like to have it, but it’s decision.” Subaru introduced a diesel engine to its Forester range in 2010 and expanded it to the Liberty and Outback soon after. Despite the massive uptake of diesel SUVs, demand for diesel remains modest in the Subaru line-up. “In smaller SUVs there is less of an advantage to switch to a diesel because the petrol engines are so efficient these days,” he said. “The diesel might use a little less fuel but you’ve generally got to pay 10 cents a litre more for it.” Meanwhile, despite the popularity of the Subaru XV, the company says there are no plans to fit the turbocharged 2.0-litre engine from the Forester XT. “I personally would love a car like that but has no plans for one at this stage,” Senior said. This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling

   

   

It will be previewed at the Los Angeles motor show later this month ahead of express deliveries down under. It's said to be a major advance from a company that also claims to have invented the compact SUV - despite Toyota's counter-claim for its RAV4 - and now plans to move things forward. So the new Forester is bigger, with more efficient engines, improved cabin quality and extra equipment. It also gets engine stop-start, the Eyesight safety system on upscale models, and an inevitable CVT automatic transmission. But, despite recent cuts on new Toyota models including the $19,990 Corolla, Subaru says it's too early to talk about showroom stickers. "We've never been the cheapest, it's about value," the managing director of Subaru Australia, Nick Senior, tells Carsguide. "There is a hell of a lot more specification and equipment in this one. We've not decided on price because we've still got a couple of months. We'll see what the exchange rate does and whether it can help us." But he's emphatic on the Forester's design and development. "It's all-new," he promises, dismissing any suggestion that the boxer engines are just carryover items. "We've got the new HB engines, which have been refined. They are in the current Forester, then the Impreza and XV. "The new Forester is bigger. The interior room is improved. I think people will be more than pleasantly surprised by the fuel economy and emissions, as well as the soft-touch plastics in the cabin." What then, about its history and future role in Australia? "I know what everyone claims. But we showed the original compact SUV at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1995. It was the Strega, a concept car that became Forester in 1997," says Senior. "It attracts our most diverse audience, from young single adventurers to families with kids up to the more mature. It's a car for all seasons and reasons. "These days it's incredibly important. it's been our highest selling vehicle for a number of years and it's been the top selling compact SUV until the flood of front-wheel drive cars came in." So, will Subaru have a front-drive price leader with a Forester badge? Now or at some future time? "No. It's not being built in front-wheel drive," Senior says bluntly. "We have all-wheel drive and all-wheel drive with ground clearance. So the Forester can be used as SUVs were intended to be used. "Not ever is a big statement. But there has been no indication. It was never the intention to have a front-wheel drive Forester when this one was designed." But Senior cannot make any promises on an automatic gearbox for the diesel-powered Forester, one of three engines choices for 2013, despite the limitations of the CVT used with its petrol powerplants. "Yes, it's something we'd like. But most people just put the transmission in D. I can't give a timeline on that." So, what about the design, which has been heavily criticised since pictures first hit the web with claims the Forester looks bulky and brutal? "You have to see it. It's the most global of Subaru's vehicles, and it's successful in Australia, China, Japan, Europe and the USA. It's not an American design," says Senior. Finally, Senior promises there will still be some surprises when the car lands in the New Year. "There are a couple of little features that we have incorporated on some models that will be a success on the showroom floor. But you've got to wait," he says.  

Subaru says it will debut the next-generation Forester to the public on November 13. The SUV goes on sale in Australia in February, but Carsguide will have the first drive report in a few weeks. The new wagon has a new transmission, updated engine and changes to its high-performance turbocharged version. The Forester, launched in Australia in 1997 but an evolution of the first mass-production SUV of the 1970s, is Subaru's best-selling model in Australia. More than 169,000 Foresters have been sold in Australia to date. Subaru Australia's managing director, Nick Senior, says the next Forester is a crucial vehicle for Australia. “This fourth generation Forester is the most significant we will have launched since the original back in 1997,'' he says. “There is more change - substantial technical change -- and innovation, than ever before. But above all, new Forester is an SUV that won't be confined to the suburbs. “It's a vehicle that could have been designed specifically for the Australian lifestyle - it's all-road, all-conditions, all-seasons and this new one will go further than any previous Forester.”  

Pretty isn't a word lavished on the Subaru Forester. But a glimpse at the new model due February shows that there has been some attractive softening of the wagon that brings it closer to the popular XV model.The next Forester will wear Subaru's new family grille - a smaller, squared look that defines the Asian SUV segment - and Impreza tail lights, but unlike the low XV, retains its tall-hat look for maximum cabin space. It will be slightly bigger than the current model, which has been on sale since 2008, by 35mm in length, 15mm in height and 20mm wider.The platform is modified from the latest Impreza/XV and claims to allow a bigger boot - to 505 litres from the current model's 450 litres. Subaru's Forester has been shown in past weeks as an image in a brochure - now we’re seeing a snap taken in a holding carpark. Standard will be Subaru's recently upgraded 110kW/196Nm 2-litre but there will also be a twin-scroll turbocharged version tagged 2.0 XT. Instead of a horizontal intercooler mounted under the bonnet lid, the turbo model it is likely to have it conventionally mounted as a vertical unit behind the grille. There will also be a turbo-diesel option with a six-speed manual or CVT automatic.The next Forester will also be the cheapest Subaru to be offered with the company's EyeSight technology that incorporates adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and autonomous pre-collision braking. 

The Forester is Subaru’s top seller here, and was the best-selling compact SUV for the previous four years. The current model has slid slightly in run-out mode, but the next one – due in the first quarter of 2013 – still has big shoes to fill. Looking at the leaked brochure for the Japanese market, it’s a more attractive vehicle than the outgoing one. And there’s likely to be little visual change for Australia – although the mechanical specs could vary.  Despite the warping of the curved pages, the images show a more streamlined body, with cues from the latest Impreza and the XV softroader. Two spec levels are shown, L and XT – the latter getting a sportier nose and wheels, plus extra chrome trim.  The leaked pages show the next Forester has grown 35mm longer and 15mm wider than the current car, and will measure up 4595mm long, 1795mm wide, 1695mm high and have a 25mm longer wheelbase at 2640mm. Luggage capacity will also grow from the current 450 litres to between 488-505 litres in various models. Overseas markets will kick off with two 2.0-litre engine choices: the naturally aspirated 110kW unit from the Subaru XV, and a twin-scroll turbocharged one for the XT, with transmission options a six-speed manual and a CVT – in both cases driving all four wheels. However a diesel is also on the cards, and would likely be on the wishlist for Australia. The brochure details show that Subaru’s safety ‘Eyesight’ technology is likely to be offered on range-topping variants. However, Subaru Australia spokesperson David Rowley says parent company Fuji Heavy Industries is “not confirming that what we’re seeing is the next Forester” – or any other details. “When it will be unveiled? FHI have told us there is no definite date for the unveiling or for an official on-sale date in Japan or elsewhere,” he says. However he acknowledges that if it is the Forester, Subaru practice means there could be some changes in the engine line-up we get. “There are actually quite significant variations in spec in different Subaru markets,” he says. “We’re not in a position to disclose what our specs might be, but there could well be different technical variations. “There will be a variety of drivetrains available but we can’t confirm what those will be.” However he can confirm the significance of the Forester to Subaru’s sales here. “It’s our top-selling model, and the completely new-generation Forester will be hugely important to us,” he says.