Last April at the Manila International Auto Show, Motor Image Pilipinas, the exclusive Philippine distributor of Subaru vehicles, unveiled what looked like a face-lifted 2011 iteration of the Subaru Forester. But those of us who test-drove the new Forester later ascertained that it has undergone more than exterior and interior cosmetic changes. We found that it has a new, totally redesigned, smoother powerplant—Subaru’s third generation flat four boxer engine.
A look at the Forester’s history is in order here. Subaru, the automobile manufacturing division of Fuji Heavy Industries Inc., introduced the five-seater Forester compact SUV at the November 1995 Tokyo Motor Show and made it available for sale in Japan in February 1997, in the American market in 1998. The early editions of the Forester shared the platform of the Impreza, but now it has the basic body structure of the Japan-spec Impreza wagon and the rear platform of the United States-spec Impreza sedan. In 2003, a turbocharged 2.5 liter XT Forester was added to the naturally aspirated lineup. Here in Manila, the Forester that immediately preceded the 2011 model was offered in 2009.
The first Subaru with a boxer engine and all-wheel drivetrain layout was produced in 1965. This engine design features cylinders that are neither inline nor banked at an angle to form a V-shape, instead the cylinders lie flat along a horizontal plane. Today, Subaru, the only company to use horizontally opposed, flat four engines, has produced 11 million boxer engines. (Porsche is the only other carmaker to use flat engines, but not all flats are boxers even if all boxers are flats.)
Better balance
Subaru chose to be identified with the boxer engine because its flatter profile allows it to sit lower in the chassis, thus increasing stability, providing better balance and reducing vibrations for a more comfortable ride, smooth and immediate, responsive power, more durable and more reliable performance. The equipoise of the flat engine is due to the opposing pistons reaching the dead center simultaneously, thereby balancing each other’s momentum. In other words, perfect natural balance that does not require extra balancing weights like other engine configurations do.
The third gen 2.0-liter, DOHC 16-valve boxer engine in the new Forester XS has a longer stroke and smaller bore than the preceding motor, which Subaru claims improves fuel efficiency, reduces emissions and boosts low- to mid-range torque. Max output via a 4-speed automatic transmission with manual mode is rated at 150 ps and 198 Nm peak torque still occurs at a high 4200 rpm, but the power delivery is smoother. Top speed is estimated at 185 kph, zero to 100 kph acceleration takes a placid 12.4 seconds (hey, this isn’t the turbo 2.5 XT!) while combined fuel consumption, both urban and highway, is optimistically claimed to be 12.2 km per liter by Subaru. A new Active Valve Control System enhances variable valve timing control on the intake side while a redesigned cylinder block and cylinder head plus the replacement of the timing belt with a chain-type cam drive helped Subaru to keep the over-all compact size of the engine.
Aside from the advantages of the new, refined boxer engine, the 2011 Forester’s Symmetrical AWD system, low center of gravity, 215 mm of ground clearance and low-range gearbox guarantee sure-footed traction and handling whatever the road and weather conditions. This I found to be reassuring when I drove a Forester 2.0 XS through pouring rain on wet, slippery and/or partially flooded roads during a long journey home late one night. Despite its tallness, the Forester rounds corners with minimal body roll and impressively precise steering, thanks to an advanced double wishbone rear suspension, Subaru’s Dynamic Chassis Control Concept and Vehicle Dynamics Control System.
Practical
The cabin of the 2011 Forester is neat, spacious and practical without being luxurious. In the 2.0 XS’ high-tech cockpit, electro-luminescent gauges, multi-information display, cruise control, dual zone aircon control, 6-disc CD changer with 7 speakers, USB and auxiliary audio input jacks, Bluetooth hands-free system are standard equipment. The driving controls are easy to reach, visibility is excellent and the leather seats are supportive with the rear seats 60/40 split reclining or folding to increase cargo space so that four large suitcases or four golf club bags can be accommodated. There are bottle holders galore, door pockets, center and overhead consoles for the storage of smaller items.
What’s new on the 2.0 XS’ rather blandly styled exterior are a fresh grille, LED turn signals in the power-folding, electrically heated door mirrors and new-design 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels.
You’re sure to be safe in a Forester, what with its SRS front, front side and curtain airbags, active front headrests, retracting pedals and 3-point seatbelts plus Subaru’s Ring-Shaped Reinforcement Frames body structure that helps to divert and dissipate the force of an impact away from the occupants. Subaru’s comprehensive network of advanced active and passive safety features provides a wholistic approach to protecting the Forester’s occupants in case of a collision.
Summing up, other compact crossovers may look sexier and accelerate faster with less engine noise, but they don’t provide the benefits of Subaru’s robust third gen horizontally opposed flat four boxer engine and Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. These benefits are a superbly comfortable ride, responsive, communicative steering, impressive agility, respectable all-terrain, all-weather capability and smoothly balanced, reasonably dynamic performance. With all these attributes, the equipoised 2011 Forester 2.0 XS is the shrewdest, most practical and best choice in the P1,388,000 retail price segment of gasoline car-based compact SUVs.
TODAY’S BUMPER STICKER DEFINITION: Yawn: the only time when some married men ever get to open their mouth.