Subaru Forester News

SUBARU FORESTER, from $30,990 ... although a total makeover means it is now much more American-centric in everything from cabin size to styling. The new Forester gets a diesel engine but it's only available as a manual and that hurts in auto-focussed Australia. It promises to drive like a car in the city but work well for weekend excoursions, as well as bringing a higher seating position for older drivers. Subaru Forester: review

One of the world firsts at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney last week was the unveiling of the Forester S-Edition.  "We will see more world reveals with one show on the calendar," he says.The motor show in Sydney is the first for 18 months after the industry rebelled against the rising costs of the shows amid the economic downturn.  Melbourne and Sydney will now host the shows on alternate years with motor shows for Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth seemingly ruled out by car companies."We will also have some exciting displays at Melbourne next year," Senior promises.  "Maybe not a world first; but instead of five new things we will have one big thing."Such is the importance of the one major show in Australia now that we are working with the factory to get something of major significance, but it's too early to speculiate on what that might be."He also suggests July as a better time to stage Australia's one motor show.  "You just come off the high of June sales and July and August are a bit of a hangover, so a July show would put more spark into sales."The spark at the Sydney show comes in the form of a more powerful Forester S-Edition.  It is powered by a turbocharged 2.5 litre boxer engine with 193kW of power, which is 24kW more than the XT and produces 347Nm of torque, up 27 Nm.Other features are paddleshift five-speed automatic gearbox, revised sports suspension, Variable Torque Distribution (VTD) all-wheel drive, STI 17-inch high lustre alloy wheels, alcantara seat trim with S-Edition logos, drilled alloy pedals, luminescent instruments with centre design unique to the model and S-Edition badging and styling accents.The bonnet wing mirror on the display model is only for Japan which will not get to see the vehicle for another month.  Senior says it is an honour for Fuji Heavy Industries to unveil the vehicle in Sydney."It points towards an exciting development in our Forester range in January when the S-Edition goes on sale," he says.  "Forester is firmly established as Australia's best-selling compact sports utility vehicle, with the most recent addition to the range being the diesel variants that are proving a sales winner for our all-wheel drive brand."There's no denying Forester's appeal to Australians in both urban and rural environments, so we think this concept will only add to the huge interest."Since going on the market in June, diesel variants have represented 29 per cent of Forester sales.  The S Edition will have a $4000 premium over the XT.Senior says the high value of the Australian dollar has not affected Subaru prices as they deal in the Yen which has been as strong as $1.06 in the past year.  The Subaru stand also showed the recently revised widebody WRX and WRX STI, including the newly introduced sedan variant and paddleshift auto. 

The Forester S-Edition concept builds on the turbocharged following of the existing Forester XT.  It is powered by a turbocharged 2.5 litre boxer engnie with 193kW of power, which is 24kW more than the XT and produces 347Nm of torque, up 27 Nm.Other features are paddleshift five-speed automatic gearbox, revised sports suspension, Variable Torque Distribution (VTD) all-wheel drive, STI 17-inch high lustre alloy wheels, alcantara seat trim with S-Edition logos, drilled alloy pedals, luminescent instruments with centre design unique to the model and S-Edition badging and styling accents.The bonnet wing mirror on the display model is only for Japan which will not get to see the vehicle for another month.  Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior says it is an honour for Fuji Heavy Industries to unveil the vehicle in Sydney."It points towards an exciting development in our Forester range early next year,'' he says."Forester is firmly established as Australia's best-selling compact sports utility vehicle, with the most recent addition to the range being the diesel variants that are proving a sales winner for our all-wheel drive brand."There's no denying Forester's appeal to Australians in both urban and rural environments, so we think this concept will only add to the huge interest."Since going on the market in June, diesel variants have represented 29 per cent of Forester sales.  The S Edition will have a $4000 premium over the XT.Senior says the high value of the Australian dollar had not affected Subaru prices as they deal in the Yen which has been as strong as 106c in the past year.The Subaru stand is also showing the recently revised widebody WRX and WRX STI, including the newly introduced sedan variant and paddleshift auto.  Senior commends the one Australian motor show per year concept.“We will see more world reveals with one show on the calendar,” he says.  “We will also have some exciting displays at Mebourne next year.  Maybe not a world first; but instead of five new things we will have one big thing.”He suggests July as a better time to stage the show.  “You just come off the high of June sales and July and August are a bit of a hangover, so a July show would put more spark into sales.”

Subaru Australia will take the covers off a high-performance version of the compact crossover wagon that will sit above the existing turbo XT model in what is expected to be a world first.

With Toyota and Nissan planning two-wheel drive versions of their popular RAV4 and X-Trail, Subaru Australia boss, Nick Senior, is adamant the Forester and Outback will not join them.  Despite a trend to two-wheel drive off-roaders Subaru "will remain firmly with symmetrical all-wheel drive", he says.Senior describes the current crop of pretend off-roaders as TUVs - Toy Utility Vehicles.  However, stripping out expensive all-wheel drive hardware can save as much as $3000 and help lower fuel consumption and emissions.Some front-wheel drive compact off-roaders, like the Nissan Dualis, are now outselling their all-wheel drive cousins.  Toyota will add a front-drive RAV4 this week to join the front-drive Kluger and Nissan is planning a front-drive X-Trail later this year.Both will save weight and improve fuel economy.  The front-drive RAV4 is tipped to be about 100kg lighter and the X-Trail is lose a similar amount of weight.Nissan Australia boss, Dan Thompson, is confident the front driver X-Trail will help expand its appeal.  "You only have look at the success of Hyundai with its Tucson City," he says.Both the RAV4 and X-Trail are expected to be available for under $30,000.  Thompson says that many buyers appreciate the higher driving position of an off-roader but do not necessarily need all-wheel drive.He is aiming to repeat the success of the company's front drive Dualis, which now accounts for 80 per cent of all Dualis sales.  When it was launched it was available only as an all-wheel drive and sales were sluggish. Apart from the RAV4 and X-Trail, Honda is looking at its options for the CR-V.  Honda spokesman, Mark Higgins, says the company may consider a front drive CR-V "but it would have to have a significant price advantage to make sense".The CR-V is mostly front-wheel drive but uses a "real-time" all-wheel drive system in off-road conditions.  After Subaru Australia went all-wheel drive back in 1998 it has never looked back.  The move helped it become the third biggest Subaru market globally after Japan and the United States. Faux front-drive off-roadersHolden Captiva 5Mazda CX7Kia SportageHyundai ix35Renault KoleosNissan DualisToyota Kluger

The tweak to the Subaru Forester is a typical value-added deal, with extra equipment on the basic X model for no added cost. The difference is a Columbia connection, which puts a badge on the car and a $500 shopping voucher into the wallet for everyone who takes one of the cars.  "Columbia sportswear fits our recreational image . . . well, like a glove," says Subaru Australia spokesman, Dave Rowley. "We did a similar thing about a year ago with Columbia and it worked well, so we decided to re-visit it." The price of the Forester X Columbia is unchanged from the regular X at $33,990 driveaway, or $35,990 for the auto, with the upgrade running to 16-inch alloys, fog lights, roof cross bars, a cargo tray and rear step panel.  Of course, there is special Columbia badging and the gift voucher. Subaru Australia has ordered 1050 cars for the deal, which means it is unlikely to last beyond February for a car that's the best seller in its class. AT A GLANCESubaru Forester X Columbia Price: from $33,990Body: five-door station wagonSafety: six airbags, ESP, anti-skid brakes, all-wheel driveEngine: 2.5-litre four cylinderOutput: 126kw/229NmEconomy: 9.3L/100kmEmissions: 220g/km  

Of the 12 off-roaders tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the United States just four earned a top rating of ``good'' and three were ``acceptable''.The tests were designed by the institute to provide new roof strength ratings.The Volkswagen Tiguan has the strongest rated roof and the Kia Sportage the weakest.Roofs on the Honda CRV and Ford Escape are marginal, and the Kia's is poor.The Tiguan, Subaru Forester, Jeep Patriot and a car sold in the US, the Honda Element, earn good ratings.The Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota RAV4 and Mitsubishi Outlander rated acceptable.The Chevrolet Equinox and Nissan Rogue, both just sold in North America, also rated acceptable.A spokesman for the Australian New Car Assessment Program and RACV chief engineer, Michael Case, says the US test add another dimension to safety information for new car buyers.He says ANCAP will be studying the findings.“The roof crush rating is a useful measure of how the roof will perform in a real rollover,’’ he says.“Rollover is the next area to go in developing tests and rating vehicles.”He says ANCAP will need to look at the IIHS process, particularly how to assess it.The new rating system is based on institute research showing that occupants in rollover crashes can survive better if their off-roaders have stronger roofs.Vehicles rated good must have roofs that are more than twice as strong as minimum federal safety standards require.``We anticipate that our roof strength test will drive improved rollover crash protection the same way that our frontal offset and side impact consumer test programs have led to better protection in these kinds of crashes,'' institute president Adrian Lund, says.The Institute recognises that vehicle roof structures have become stronger over the past few years.Part of the reason is that carmakers have made structural improvements to earn better front and side crash ratings.Strong A and B pillars help prevent intrusion in these types of crashes and also help hold up the roof.``It's not surprising that Volkswagen and Subaru earn good ratings in our new roof test because these carmakers were among the first to ace our front and side tests,'' Lund says.In the United States more than 10,000 people a year are killed in rollovers.When vehicles roll, their roofs often hit the ground with considerable force, deforming and crushing.Stronger roofs crush less, reducing the risk that occupants will be injured by contact with the roof itself.Stronger roofs can also prevent occupants, especially those not wearing seatbelts, from being ejected.In the US, about 25 per cent of deaths in car and van crashes are rollovers but in off-roaders this jumps to 59 per cent.The RACV’s Case says the incidence of rollovers in Australia is lower “but there is still a high chance of death or serious injury”.In the institute's roof strength test, a metal plate is pushed against one side of a roof near the A-pillar.To earn a good rating, the roof must withstand a force of four times the vehicle's weight before reaching 12cm of crush.   

Subaru Australia managing director, Nick Senior, is close to signing off on the multi-purpose Exiga minivan.

The figures, released this week, show that of 349 vehicles tested there were 26 deemed to have performed “significantly better than average”.The ratings are produced by the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) with help from the RACV, TAC and VicRoads.The ratings are based on the MUARC team's analysis of more than 3.2 million car crashes in Australia and New Zealand between 1986 and 2006.That means that unlike the ANCAP testing, which is done under control conditions in a special testing facility, the Used Car Safety Ratings are based on real world accidents.The survey rates vehicles in five marks: significantly better than average; better than average; average; worse than average; and significantly worse than average.The ratings expose the myth that larger cars are safer in an accident with bigger cars putting occupants at a greater risk of serious injury in an accident.Small and medium sized cars fared the best with the smallest category offering up nine cars with the eight medium sized cars pulling the top result.Once again large cars fared the worst with only the 2002-06 Holden Commodore awarded the significantly better than average honour.The Subaru Forester 1997-2002 model was the best performer outright in the survey, just ahead of another compact four-wheel-driver, the 1997-2001 Honda CR-V.Light cars fared badly with none achieving the top rating and only three scoring a better than average mark.Also performing poorly were commercial vehicles, both vans and utes. Only the Ford Transit van scored better than average across the two categories. BEST PERFORMING VEHICLESSubaru Forester 97-02Honda CR-V 97-01Ford Explorer 01-05Mercedes-BenzM-Class 98-05Mitsubishi Pajero 00-06Jeep Cherokee 01-04Ford Transit 01-06Holden Commodore 02-06Mazda6 02-06Subaru Liberty 99-03WORST PERFORMING VEHICLESDaihatsu Rocky 85-98Toyota Landcruiser 82-89Holden Rodeo 89-95Subaru Brumby 82-92Suzuki Mighty Boy 85-88Toyota Hiace 87-89Toyota Hiace 90-95Daihatsu Handivan 82-90Holden Scurry/Suzuki Carry 82-00Toyota Hiace 82-86 LIGHT CARSBEST PERFORMERSMazda 121 97-02Holden Barina 01-06Volkswagen Polo 96-00Daihatsu Sirion 96-04Toyota Echo 99-05WORST PERFORMERSHyundai Getz 02-06Suzuki Alto 85-00Daihatsu Mira 90-96Subaru Sherpa 89-92Mitsubishi Mirage 82-88SMALL CARSBEST PERFORMERSVolkswagen Golf 99-04Mazda3 03-06Peugeot 306 94-01Volkswagen Golf 04-06Peugeot 307 01-06WORST PERFORMERSMitsubishi Cordia 83-87Nissan Exa 83-86Nissan NX 91-96Hyundai Excel 86-90Honda Civic 84-87MEDIUM CARSBEST PERFORMERSMazda6 02-06Subaru Liberty 99-03BMW 5- Series 96-03Saab 9000 86-97Saab 9-3 94-02WORST PERFORMERSMitsubishi Starion 82-87Holden Camira 82-89Toyota Corona 82-88Nissan Bluebird 82-86Nissan Pintara 89-92LARGE CARSBEST PERFORMERSHolden Commodore 02-06Ford Falcon 98-02Ford Falcon 02-06Holden Commodore 97-02Mitsubishi Magna 03-06WORST PERFORMERSToyota Supra 82-90Holden Commodore 82-88Ford Falcon 82-88Nissan Skyline 83-88Mitsubishi Magna 86-90LARGE 4WDBEST PERFORMERSFord Explorer 01-05Mercedes M-Class 98-05Nissan Patrol 98-04Nissan Patrol 88-97Toyota Landcruiser 99-06WORST PERFORMERSToyota Landcruiser 82-89Nissan Patrol 82-87Toyota Landcruiser 90-97Range Rover 96-02Jeep Cherokee 96-99PEOPLE-MOVERSBEST PERFORMERSMitsubishi Nimbus 99-03Kia Carnival 99-06Toyota Tarago 91-99Honda Odyssey 95-00Nissan Serena 92-95WORST PERFORMERSMitsubishi Starwagon 83-86Toyota Tarago 83-89Mitsubishi Starwagon 87-93Mazda MPV 94-99Mitsubishi Starwagon 95-98 

1233 Foresters, Imprezas, WRX, WRX STi, Liberty GT sedans and wagons locally are potentially affected, Subaru Australia spokesman David Rowley says.The cars were manufactured between January 8 and April 5.Rowley says there have been no reported incidents with the turbo engines in Australia. However, Fuji Heavy Industries, the manufacturer of Subaru vehicles, has temporarily suspended the production and sale of all 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engines built between the notified dates.Cars affected are the Forester XT, chassis number 002070 onwards; Impreza WRX and WRX STI, chassis number 015006 onwards; Liberty GT sedan, chassis number 038385 onwards; and Liberty GT wagon, chassis number 068148 onwards. Cars fitted with any other engines are not affected.Concerned customers can contact Subaru customer relations immediately on 1800226643.