Subaru Sherpa Reviews

Just like the dreaded difficult second-album syndrome that can inflict music artists after a smash debut, sometimes carmakers really struggle to replace a successful and/or acclaimed model with something equally so.Arguably history’s first was when the original car to put the world on wheels, the Ford Model T from 1908, was replaced by the Model A. While infinitely better, it also had infinitely more competition in 1927, and so couldn’t hope to replicate the T’s legacy.Here, then, are five of the most infamous in Australian motoring history.Built on a shortened version of the then-new Liberty platform, the original Impreza range barely made a ripple – until the WRX (World Rally Cross) turbo AWD arrived in 1993, redefining small-car performance, dominating rallying for years, and becoming a Sony Playstation superstar along the way. The Subaru came to define the era.But when the hotly anticipated 2000 redesign, leaked online with its buggy round headlights and bulkier proportions, howling disapproval ensued – as did one of the first trials by internet – forcing an unscheduled and embarrassing major facelift within two years.Controversial statement time: the Bugeye is the G2 Impreza to buy, not the Blob-eye or Hawk-eye that followed (and reeked of desperation).Nissan’s Datsun 510 Bluebird – or 1600 as it was known in Australia – was an elegantly minimalist mid-sized sedan from Japan with engine and suspension design engineered by the Prince Motor Company of Skyline fame and inspired by the 1966 BMW 1602/2002 that preceded the original 3 Series.At the time, Japanese cars were still largely dynamically deficient, but the Datsun broke through with buyers and critics alike, while also enjoying enduring motorsport success. This was Nissan’s golden era, with the CSP311 Silvia, B10 Sunny/1000 and Fairlady 240Z highly prized today.However, the 1600’s 180B successor traded all that in for a fussy, dreary and ponderous bore that sold strongly but failed to inspire. Datsun even tried to resurrect the spirit of the 1600 with the similarly styled but dynamically dreadful Stanza of 1978. This was Nissan’s first ‘malaise era’.Dishonourable mention: Datsun B110 1200 to B210 120Y.A facelift of the fourth-generation Commodore, the VE of 2006, the VF has the heartbreaking legacy of being Australia’s last-ever locally designed, engineered and built passenger car.It also spawned all-time greats like the HSV GTS-R, was exported to North America and the UK, and – like Ford’s final Falcon – represented unparalleled value given its performance, front mid-engine/rear-drive layout and sports-sedan (and wagon/ute) styling. A true Aussie legend.Importing the smaller, front-wheel-drive mid-sized Opel Insignia from Germany was never going to cut it as a replacement, but the resulting ZB wouldn’t have been so bad if Holden hadn’t insisted on Commodore badges, infuriating fans in the process.Yet, in key areas and due mainly to its newer development, the ZB was a superior family car to the VF, but it wasn’t a true Commodore. Australians shunned it and the plug was pulled by the end of 2019.The fifth-generation Falcon was the all-Australian EA of 1988. Though considered at the time as one of the best-looking new sedans in the world, it was plagued with quality issues that, to Ford’s credit, were quickly resolved. And by the time the EL facelift arrived in 1996, this Falcon series was considered best in class, and jostled with the VS Commodore for domination.But the AU Falcon bombed. People despised its droopy styling and strange grille, especially against the handsome VT Commodore that consequently surged ahead in popularity.Today, it is the Falcon that is more revered, but the AU’s failure forced its maker down a path of debt that, while leading to the legendary Barra and Territory as this country’s only-ever locally made SUV, eventually also collapsed Ford’s Australian manufacturing division after 91 years. A brutal legacy.With its classy American styling update over the preceding, fussy EJ, the 1963 EH Holden was a monumental success, becoming the fastest-selling local car in history with nearly 257,000 sold in just 18 months.That’s an incredible 14,275 monthly registration average, fanned by the introduction of the all-Australian ‘Red’ engine, replacing the old ‘Grey’ anchor that dated back from 1948. At the time, it was considered one of the most advanced and efficient in the global General Motors empire.As it turned out, compact by today’s standards, the EH also came to represent the perfectly sized and proportioned Australian family car as well – a realisation that came way-too late, because its 1965 HD Holden replacement was too big and awkward-looking to resonate in the same way.While not strictly a failure – initial order numbers set records for GMH – the HD’s sales quickly ran out of puff, dropping the monthly sales rate average to 12,780.This gave the rapidly-evolving Falcon a leg-up with consumers that eventually led to the Ford outselling its Holden rival some years later.That gradual chipping away all began with the HD.

Japan’s major carmakers are reportedly looking to band together and standardise componentry in order to stand up against the rise of Chinese players.As reported by Automotive News, this directive is coming from Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) Chairman Koji Sato who is also the Toyota Vice Chairman and Chief Industry Officer.As a start, Sato is looking to standardise wiring harnesses across the Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota brands, which could reportedly increase productivity more than tenfold.There could also be scope to widen the commonality to steel grades, plastics, among other common components to manufacture cars.“Right now, the most important theme facing the Japanese auto industry is improving ‘international competitiveness’,” said Sato to Automotive News.“We aim to strategically create ‘areas of cooperation’ to improve efficiency, thereby accelerating coexistence in the essential ‘areas of competition.“We have a strong sense of crisis that the Japanese auto industry is in a massive period of transition.“Now is exactly the time to further develop and evolve with the challenges and reform initiatives that the auto industry as a whole must face.“Unless things change, we will not survive.”“We are really talking about what we can do together, because we do see that other industries in other countries or other parts of the world are better organised than us,” said Nissan Motor Company CEO Ivan Espinosa to Automotive News.“We will see a lot more collaboration among Japanese OEMs.“We have a big opportunity to start sharing critical commodities, at least having a common spec on certain things.“We’d have something like a JAMA standard that complies with the requirements of all of us, where we certify some suppliers, and then use this freely.”Beyond this parts standardisation across the Japanese carmakers, JAMA is also reportedly looking to commonise logistics, simplify Japan’s automobile taxing system, redesign the country’s autonomous driving infrastructure, secure access to raw materials, commercialise a circular recycling economy, as well as improve talent recruitment.Even if Japan’s major OEMs can band together and standardise componentry, it still may not be enough to compete against the so-called 'China Speed.'As recently reported, BYD Executive Vice President He Zhiqi claimed that 650 new or updated cars have launched in China in the first half of 2026. This equals around 25 vehicles per week.Many Chinese brands are also having breakthrough success in many export markets, including Australia.China overtook Japan earlier this year to become the largest importer of new vehicles in Australia, ending a 28-year streak.In the first half of 2026 a total of 175,151 new vehicles sold in Australia were manufactured in China, according to VFACTS. This is up 70.2 per cent year-on-year.This number is higher when sales figures from the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) are factored in, however it doesn’t stipulate the vehicle’s country of origin in its reports. Polestar and Tesla report their sales figures through the EVC, rather than VFACTS.On the other hand, a total of 144,430 new vehicles sold in Australia in the first half of 2026 were imported from Japan. This is down 22.8 per cent year-on-year.It’s worth noting that many Japanese carmakers already have partnerships or joint ventures with Chinese carmakers to produce vehicles in China, mainly for China.However, some of these brands are exporting these Chinese-made models to other markets, including Australia.Examples include the Mazda 6e and soon the Mazda CX-6e, and Nissan is still assessing whether to bring some of its popular Chinese-made vehicles Down Under, like the Frontier Pro plug-in hybrid ute and NX8 hybrid and electric SUV.

Recently, a realisation from behind the wheel of the current generation of a widely beloved rear-drive two-door coupe raised a question for me.Are sports cars doomed? The question came as I realised that because of the development of the car I was driving, the 2026 Nissan Z (specifically the Heritage Edition), underneath was essentially a Nissan 350Z that had been given enough surgery to be relevant in two decades later.But the last of the ancient platforms won’t be around for much longer, surely, and the cars built on them are, at least in two cases, some of the most-loved sports cars around.The other is the Ford Mustang, which rides on a platform closely related to one older than you might think.Back to the Z for a moment, because the platform it rides on comes from so far back that I was just getting into primary school when it debuted. The 2002 Nissan 350Z was released when I was in grade 2, about a decade and a half ago, when I was only allowed behind the wheel of one if it was on Need for Speed: Underground 2.Nissan recently celebrated 35 years of its Infiniti sub-brand, which kicked off with the G35 Coupe - a sibling car to the V35 Nissan Skyline - and gave the Front Midship (FM) Platform its flowers.The aim was to get a V6 nestled in just behind the front axle, which resulted in a 52:48 front/rear weight distribution. Slightly more weight over the front was a deliberate choice, according to the engineers.The FM platform would go on to carry the Z33 350Z to cultural relevance in the aforementioned Underground 2 and Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, before the Z34 370Z came along with a heavily updated version of the platform in 2009 and hung around for 12 years. The FM was just about old enough to vote in Australia when the 370Z was discontinued.The RZ34 is already coming up on four years old, and its platform is 20 years older than that.Even though its chassis feels heavy for something carrying a two-door coupe, it’s not alone in the world of heavy hybrid and electric ‘sports cars’, but it retains a level of engagement and trust in the driver that doesn’t rely on tricks and electronics.If Nissan built another platform for the Z, not only would it have possibly sent the company bankrupt, it might have lost some of its magic.Nissan’s FM platform is not alone in this. In fact, even though Ford probably could afford to create a new Mustang platform, you could argue the platform it rides on is even older than the Z’s. Depends who you ask. While Ford says the S550 Mustang is built on a ‘ground-up’ platform developed just for the Mustang in 2015, it’s to some extent based on the existing D2C platform that the Mustang rode on since 2004, itself an evolution of the DEW98 platform used from the late 1990s.While the Mustang’s platform is now different in a few key areas, including the addition of independent rear suspension for the S550 generation onwards, it’s still related to that of the early 2000s.And it’s still quite capable and really, really fun, just like the Nissan Z.I point all of this out because I’m a little worried about what happens to the other, even more affordable sports cars when it’s time for their next generations. Will the Mazda MX-5 or Toyota GR86 (and Subaru BRZ) hold onto their platforms until it’s no longer possible to release a car on them?We’re going to be waiting until after 2030 for a new Nissan Z according to Nissan Americas’ Senior Vice President Chief Product & Planning Officer Ponz Pandikuthira, though given he says the next GT-R will ride on a new platform the FM Platform might also be outta here.A new Ford Mustang won’t be around until a similar time, though Ford CEO Jim Farley has notably said the V8 would stick around “as long as God and the politicians let us”. The platform might need some more work by then if the brand intends to electrify the pony car, though it won’t go full-EV if Ford can avoid it.If you’re anything like me, you’d probably be okay with the next generations of each of these cars riding on a very similar platform to their predecessors.Of course evolution needs to take place, otherwise the Mustang would still have a solid rear axle and the likes of ANCAP would have thoughts about that.The current Mazda MX-5 and Toyota GR86 are two properly affordable sports cars, and if keeping them within reach of most people means a new generation on the same highly acclaimed platforms as before, I’d be all for it.

A fleet of new police cars is going to be harder to spot.South Australia Police have revealed six new patrol cars that will be hiding in plain sight.Dubbed shadow patrol cars, the hard-to-see livery will be applied to a range of vehicles including a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, Toyota Kluger and a previous-generation Subaru Outback.The vehicles feature colour matched and subdued police markings that are less visible in the daytime, but reflect at night when they catch the light.Commissioner of Police Grant Stevens said the new subdued police cars were to boost road safety and stop tragedy before it occurs.“With 61 lives already lost on South Australian roads this year, we cannot afford complacency. Every fatality represents a person who did not make it home and families whose lives have been changed forever,” said Commissioner Stevens.South Australia Police said drink and drug driving, along with dangerous road users or behaviours contributed to 67 per cent of the road fatalities this year.He also said the hiding in plain sight nature of the cars will be a deterrence.“If people know police may be on the road in vehicles that are not immediately obvious from a distance, they may think twice before speeding, driving affected by alcohol or drugs, using their phone, or taking risks behind the wheel,” he said.The new vehicles will take part in routine road policing and targeted enforcement operations in metropolitan and rural areas, according to South Australia Police.Each vehicle will be equipped with standard Highway Patrol and road policing equipment, including speed detectors, alcohol and drug testing and safety equipment.South Australia Police said these vehicles will complement, not replace, the high visibility Highway Patrol vehicles currently used in the state.The new fleet of shadow patrol cars has already had an immediate impact. They nabbed a driver on Wednesday in Seaford, who was spotted driving erratically.He was reported for driving while under the influence and fail to comply with breath analysis.He was issued with a 12-month instant loss of licence, and his vehicle was impounded for 28 days.

The 2026 Subaru Trailseeker AWD Touring is the flagship version of this electric SUV line-up in Australia.It’s now priced from $69,990, before on-road costs, following a $4000 price cut it received before its arrival.This flagship version is priced identically to the related Toyota bZ4X Touring which is only offered in a single, range-topping trim.It’s still priced competitively against many rivals like the Skoda Enyaq, Tesla Model Y, Volkswagen ID.4 and Zeekr 7X. There are cheaper rivals out there but they typically don’t offer all-wheel drive.Power comes from a dual-motor all-wheel drive set-up with a healthy total system output of 280kW. This is enough to send it from 0-100km/h in just 4.5 seconds, making it the fastest production Subaru model ever offered in Australia.The electric motors are fed by a 74.7kWh lithium-ion battery pack sourced from CATL. Claimed range for this entry-level model is 488km, according to WLTP testing, which is notably less than the entry-level model due to its larger 20-inch alloy wheels.Standard equipment includes LED headlights, a hands-free power tailgate, 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, 14.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, dual wireless chargers, a digital rear-view mirror as well as blue and black leather-appointed upholstery.The Subaru Trailseeker received a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating based on testing conducted by Euro NCAP on the related, European-spec E-Outback and Toyota bZ4X in 2025.The entire line-up receives the full safety suite, which is great peace of mind. Highlights include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, driver attention monitoring, front and rear parking sensors as well as a surround-view camera.Like all Subarus, the Trailseeker is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is getting rather lacklustre for a mainstream brand now.The warranty coverage for the high-voltage battery is eight years or 160,000km, which is standard across many brands.Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. The first five services are capped and total $984.18, averaging out to around $197 per service.

The 2026 Subaru Trailseeker AWD is the entry-level version of this electric SUV line-up in Australia.It’s now priced from $63,990, before on-road costs, following a $4000 price cut it received before its arrival.This entry-level model sets the Trailseeker apart from the related Toyota bZ4X Touring which is only offered in a single, flagship trim level locally.The pricing is also competitive against many rivals including the Skoda Enyaq, Tesla Model Y, Volkswagen ID.4 and Zeekr 7X. There are cheaper rivals but they typically don’t offer all-wheel drive.Power comes from a dual-motor all-wheel drive set-up with a healthy total system output of 280kW. This is enough to send it from 0-100km/h in just 4.5 seconds, making it the fastest production Subaru model ever offered in Australia.The electric motors are fed by a 74.7kWh lithium-ion battery pack sourced from CATL. Claimed range for this entry-level model is 533km, according to WLTP testing.Standard equipment includes LED headlights, a hands-free power tailgate, 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, 14.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual wireless chargers, a digital rear-view mirror and synthetic leather upholstery.The Subaru Trailseeker received a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating based on testing conducted by Euro NCAP on the related, European-spec E-Outback and Toyota bZ4X in 2025.The entire line-up receives the full safety suite, which is great peace of mind. Highlights include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, driver attention monitoring, front and rear parking sensors as well as a surround-view camera.Like all Subarus, the Trailseeker is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is getting rather lacklustre for a mainstream brand now.The warranty coverage for the high-voltage battery is eight years or 160,000km, which is standard across many brands.Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. The first five services are capped and total $984.18, averaging out to around $197 per service.

Subaru's newest EV in Australia is its fastest production model yet locally and with more than a sprinkling of all-terrain wagon looks, it's essentially an electric Outback. But how does the Trailseeker fare in the real world?

The Subaru Trailseeker is the Japanese carmaker’s newest electric vehicle (EV) in Australia, but in other markets it has a different, more familiar name.In Europe and the United Kingdom this model is called the E-Outback, building off the all-terrain wagon legacy the nameplate has become known for.Subaru Australia General Manager Scott Lawrence explained to CarsGuide why the brand opted for the Trailseeker name instead.“The Outback nameplate stands for something, particularly in Australia, and those that have seen the new-generation Outback, it really has the presence of Outback,” said Lawrence.“Trailseeker, the character of Trailseeker will lend itself to the name.“We love the name Trailseeker and … the models live side by side, not compete, so we thought it was the best call to separate them and have their own lives within a model range.”Despite being an SUV, there are clear indicators the Trailseeker has lifted all-terrain wagon design cues, which the Outback has historically been known for. These include the elongated and boxy roof line, as well as the pronounced roof rails.The new-generation Outback is much more upright and SUV-like, despite having the aforementioned design cues.The Trailseeker now brings Subaru’s local EV line-up to three in Australia. It shares the showroom floor with the Solterra and Uncharted EVs.They are all based on the same e-SGP dedicated electric architecture, plus they were co-developed with Toyota, meaning there are Toyota-badged equivalents of every model.The Trailseeker is powered by a dual-motor all-wheel drive set-up with a total system output of 280kW. This is enough to send it from 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds, making it Subaru’s fastest production car ever in Australia.Locally there are two trim levels offered, the AWD and AWD Touring. Pricing was slashed last month ahead of its arrival by $4000, meaning the line-up now starts at $63,990 before on-road costs.Despite being roughly the same size as the Kia Sorento, the Trailseeker is only offered with five seats. Subaru hasn’t offered a seven-seat vehicle in Australia since the Tribeca was axed in 2013.

Some of Australia’s most famous car brands are starting to come under significant sales pressure as Chinese brands win over local customers.According to the latest sales data that covers until the end of May, the biggest movers up the sales charts are the Chinese brands. BYD is up 120 per cent, Chery is up 84 per cent, GWM is up 23 per cent and Geely is up a remarkable 629 per cent.But given the Australian market typically remains at the 1.1-1.2 million mark in any given year, for those brands to experience sales growth, other car makers are taking a hit. And the brands that have suffered noticeable sales declines so far in 2026 are some of the biggest names.Nissan - down 32.8%The Japanese brand has slipped outside the top 10 sellers and it’s hard to pinpoint a particular reason. Nissan is down across its entire line-up, with even its stalwart X-Trail taking a 15.3 per cent sales hit in the first five months of the year.It certainly hasn’t helped that the company has dropped once-popular models, the Juke and Pathfinder, but both were already struggling to find an audience.The arrival of the new Navara may help to pick things up in the second half of the year, while the long-anticipated new-generation Patrol cannot come soon enough. The brand is also pinning a bounce back on a range of new hybrid ‘e-Power’ models due in the near-future to revitalise its line-up. Mitsubishi - down 26.4%In many respects this is an unsurprising result given Mitsubishi culled much of its line-up in 2025, dropping the Pajero Sport and Eclipse Cross, while also changing over to a new-generation ASX.The problem is that aside from the Triton ute, every other model in the current range is in sales decline so far this year. The ASX was the brand’s key model for years, offering an affordable small SUV option to many buyers. But the new, Renault-based ASX is simply failing to have the same results, likely because affordable, small SUVs are a key area of success for the Chinese brands.Mitsubishi has sold just 695 ASX in the first five months of the year, while BYD has sold 2919 Atto 2, Jaecoo has moved 4017 J5 and Chery has found 11,309 buyers - so it’s clear what has hurt the Japanese brands sales.The good news for Mitsubishi is that one of its most beloved models is making a return. An all-new Pajero is set to go on sale by the end of the year and could be a much-needed boost for the brand.Subaru - down 22.1%It was always going to be a tricky period for Subaru, with its two most popular models (Forester and Outback) being replaced within a 12 month period. However, the Forester has been on sale for nearly a year, so the 8.4 per cent sales decline in 2026 is concerning, while the Outback has been met with mixed reviews for its radically different styling.While there is no quantifiable evidence that Subaru is losing buyers to the Chinese brands, looking at the Forester’s mid-size SUV segment it’s clear that Australian buyers have been won over by what the newer brands are offering. The Forester sits behind the BYD Sealion 7 and GWM Haval H6, while the Chery Tiggo Pro 7 and Geely EX5 are closing in. Add to that the arrival of a new Toyota RAV4 and the continued popularity of the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage and it makes for a tough challenge for the Forester.Outback sales are off to a relatively slow start, despite the introduction of the more rugged Wilderness variant, but the competition in the large SUV segment is not easy either, with a diverse group that includes the Toyota Prado, Hyundai Santa Fe and BYD Sealion 8.Subaru will be hoping its new all-electric Uncharted and Trailseeker can make an impact and capitalise on the current demand for EVs, while there is a chance both Forester and Outback sales could pick-up in the second half of the year.Suzuki - down 22.0%The key problem for Suzuki is its legacy is also built on offering affordable small models, so the arrival of so many Chinese brands offering similar (or better) products for similar (or less) money has made life hard for the brand.Sales are down across the board, with even its stalwart Jimny taking a 12 per cent hit in the first five months of the year. The arrival of the new Fronx has helped add new sales, but with so much decline it hasn’t helped the brand’s ultimate sales numbers.Suzuki is hoping that the Jimny Rhino, a new special edition of its beloved compact off-roader can help boost interest. But it will need more than that to reverse its current sales situation, which will be difficult as the competition is only going to get more intense.Volkswagen - down 17.0%It has been a mixed performance for the German brand so far in 2026. Overall sales are down and there have been big drops for some key models, but there has also been some important sales growth.The bad news is the Amarok ute has dropped more than 33 per cent, while its core SUV line-up has also been hit, with the T-Roc down 55.9 per cent, the T-Cross down 49 per cent and the Tiguan down 13 per cent.The good news is the brand is getting some traction with its electric offerings and its updated commercial vehicle line-up. Sales of the ID.4 are up over 455 per cent (only 171 sales behind the Tiguan), the ID.5 is also more popular as is the ID.Buzz van. The new Crafter (up 277%), new Transporter (up 78.1%) and the ID.Buzz Cargo (up 33.7%) are all enjoying a successful start to the year.But VW will need to get the Tiguan and Tayron really firing in the second half of the year - which is possible with the arrival of new hybrid options) if they don’t want to finish in its current position.

Subaru has reportedly confirmed it plans to continue building comparatively affordable sports cars with manual transmissions in the future.According to Japanese media, which was present at the NAPAC Fuji 24 Hour Race, Subaru held a press conference confirming its plans to forge ahead with affordable, manual versions of its next sports car offerings.Reportedly, this will be across three new models, including the next WRX, next BRZ, and a new-generation hatchback model, which is said to “change the direction” of the WRX nameplate.According to Auto Sport Web Tetsuro Fujinuki, Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer of Subaru said the brand’s ‘TY85’ six-speed manual transmission, currently used in STI-branded performance models, would be revived in next-generation form, with the capability to "accommodate future increases in power output.”The renewed manual transmission plans will also necessitate some upgrades to the centre differential and EyeSight safety systems, according to the publication. It was spurned on by 9000 expressions of interest in a limited-edition, manual-equipped version of the current car (dubbed the WRX STI Sport# in Japan), where only 600 units were available.This new transmission will be deployed at very least in the next WRX and BRZ, although what will power the upcoming next-generation hatchback model is yet to be confirmed.Subaru said the new models demonstrate a “desire to break down preconceived notions about the increasing price and emphasis on high-power in sports models, and offer cars that are more accessible and enjoyable”.To that end, the brand said it was looking into weight reduction, simplified equipment, and different materials to increase agility and performance, rather than massive upgrades to power.It is unclear how wide-reaching these new plans will be, but expect to learn more before next year, as the brand’s roll-out plans for the reveals of these cars will be before then.Temper your expectations for an array of performance models for Australia, as Subaru is one of the brands most exposed to Australia’s recently-implemented new vehicle efficiency standards (NVES), which closes the vice on high-emitting vehicles over the coming years until 2030.The brand’s signature flat ‘boxer’ engines have long been high-emitters, and have proven difficult to electrify. Early attempts didn’t reduce emissions or fuel consumption by a significant amount despite adding a significant sum to the price.More recent hybrid offerings cut fuel consumption and subsequent emissions by a deeper amount, although it puts a Forester, for example, just on the line for attracting an NVES penalty, rather than well over for standard 2.5-litre variants.