Subiesport Magazine - February/March 2008 - (Page 17)

DRIVELINE 2009 SUBARU FORESTER All-new model brings significant changes to the all-purpose sport utility. In YEaRS PaSt, the forester was little more than a boxy Impreza with a taller body. almost like an Impreza panel van, as no one would really consider the forester to be much of an SuV, it was always too much of a car to be considered otherwise. and that was a good thing. In fact, if you wanted to have an StI without all the boy-racer wings and garish logos, you could basically swap everything StI right over to a forester and no one would be the wiser. Yet, with this new generation, Subaru has had a complete re-think and released a vehicle that is much more “ute” and less car. oK, no one is going to mistake this cute little puddle hopper for a real off-road truck. much like its direct competitors, the Rav4 and CRV, it is more designed for “active lifestyle” types who need room for active lifestyle stuff, like skis and golden retrievers. Said another way, it’s SuV utility without all that big-engine, gas-guzzling SuV guilt. The previous forester was much more car-like, it was lower to the ground for instance. This one will clear monstrous boulders, as long as they are shorter than 8.9-inches at the very most. Subaru has taken the panel van looks and rounded them out a bit to make them more organic-looking. Indeed, the new car gives more the appearance of being higher off the ground, which is good when the road to the lodge hasn’t been fully plowed early in the morning. Since the forester is based on the Impreza it has the new multilink rear suspension in the back, with the good-old mcPherson setup in the front. Subaru says this will give the new forester crisper handling. like the Impreza, interior room has been increased, thanks to better packaging of the suspension in the rear. Subaru says this new setup also improves crash protection. The drivetrain options are basically the same as the older car and comes in either 2.5-liter turbo or naturally aspirated trim. and, like the Impreza, it has Subaru’s new VDC traction and stability control. both manual and automatic gearboxes are available with manual versions getting a hill-hold feature. The new car is available in several trim levels with the stripped-down X model or the top of the line l.l. bean edition, which gets you satellite navivation, heated leather seats, mP3 player connectivity and satellite radio in the flavor of your choice. The Xt is also still available which comes with the EJ255 powerplant found in the WRX and legacy Gt; this version, too, can be had with a 5-speed. Clearly, this new cutie utility is part of Subaru’s move toward appealing to the masses. Subaru still struggles with their hippie and lesbian car image. The forester in particular has a stigma of being a car for the lGbtV set, an image that Subaru fostered. With more mainstream looks, more room and more amenities, it has the weaponry to take its Japanese puddle-hopper brethren head-on. However, there was that segment of forester owners that would take their chalk-and-cheese shoeboxes racing. because the forester was so Impreza, it was easy to build your own tarted-up StI version. Indeed, the forester StI was one the great JDm forbidden fruits; the best we ever got here was the forester Sports edition. but still, it was an acknowledgement of the sporting heritage and ability of Subaru’s homely van-bodied Impreza. Will the new forester be able to fill these shoes? already, some enthusiasts are warming to the new design, with StI designs of their own on the drawing board. < SUBIESPORT MAGAZINE 17

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Subiesport Magazine - February/March 2008

Subiesport Magazine - February/March 2008 Contents Travis Geny Letters Readers' Rides Subaru News Subie Sleuths Hatched Plans United in Subarus East Meets West WRC Rally Catalunya WRC Rally France WRC Rally Japan WRC Rally Ireland WRC Wales Rally GB The Future of Subaru WRC Team Orange Where to Buy Subiesport 1993 Impreza "Dreadnought" Performance Radiator Install Special Kei Ad Directory Spotted!

Subiesport Magazine - February/March 2008

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