As your local Subaru Forester dealers, we like to keep you abreast of the latest Subaru developments, and we’re always excited to tell you about a new release. The 2019 Subaru Forester is with us, some may lament the dropping of the turbocharged driveline, but despite this, we still have a compelling mix of practicality, technology, and safety features. Let’s take a look at what the Forester 2.5i-S has to offer.
A Brief Overview
There is loads of new technology on board that we will examine in more detail later. The new cabin interior is very smart and extremely well finished. The driving experience is positive and yet relaxed leading to satisfying cornering and acceleration. Some people may not like the lack of available driveline options available.
Subaru in Australia
Subaru has a very grassroots following in Australia thanks in large part to their rallying heritage and also because of the tough all wheel drive cars that can handle the Aussie driving conditions. As such, there is always a bit of a buzz about when a new Subaru car is released. The Forester was first released here back in 1997 as a replacement for the Leone wagon, and it was the earliest of the new crossovers. Later on, turbocharging was added to the repertoire to great acclaim, but for this release, Subaru has taken a backward step in order to move forward.
The New Engine
This engine is 90% brand new and those elements that remain have been extensively tweaked and redesigned to extract every last bit of power and efficiency. This is a 2.5L naturally aspirated power plant that can generate 136 kW of power at 5,800 rpm. This will produce 239 Nm of torque in the 4,400 rpm sweet spot. This will be the only driveline option available, but it’s well set up for the Forester driver. The engine is paired with a CVT Lineartronic automatic gearbox, and the combined fuel economy is a very respectable 7.4L/100km. Thanks to the modest kerb weight the Forester can make easy progress, highway overtaking may take a moment in order to gather the required momentum, but the driving experience provides plenty of feedback.
Driving Modes
The traction, throttle controls, hill descent, and gear selections all received extensive tweaking for the X-Mode. There are two driving modes available; they are Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud. The CVT can easily lock into those vital lower ratios, and you will have plenty of control over where the 18” alloy wheels go. Traction control will kick in quickly on steeper inclines to keep you out of too much trouble.
Onboard Technology
As one would expect the latest EyeSight safety system is on board with reverse automatic and autonomous braking. A driver monitoring system will analyze driver awareness, and there is plenty of feedback via three screens. This top spec variant also has a Harman Kardon sound system to keep you entertained.
If you’re looking for a Subaru Forester for sale in Perth, visit us here at Perth City Subaru and we can arrange a no obligation test drive for you.