Worth a drive

Since 2018, Subaru’s Forester has been at the forefront of one of New Zealand’s most popular new car segments. For 2022, the Forester has been given a refresh so, what’s new?

For starters, the MY22 Forester gets a new grille and a sharper looking headlight and taillight cluster. Changes inside are subtle. You now get an 8-inch infotainment system over the previous model’s 6.5-inch set up. Subaru’s EyeSight safety suite also gets some upgrades including Lane Departure Prevention, Lane Centring and Autonomous Emergency Steering.

My test car was the entry level Forester at $42,990 plus ORC, but you also get the X Sport, Premium, e-Boxer Hybrid and Premium e-Boxer Hybrid variants.

While the hybrids are a bit lacklustre, the petrol Forester provides one of the best petrol and drive combos around. Also, that 2.5L Boxer engine seems somewhat quieter than before. Tweaks to the dampers and suspension make for a more comfortable ride and the X-Mode AWD system is still very rugged and capable. Also, that 220mm of ground clearance means buyers can still rough it more than others.

When you factor in price, on-board tech and its capabilities off the beaten track, the Forester is worthy of its place in the mid-sized SUV inner circle.

PRICE: $42,990 plus ORC
ENGINE: 2.5L Boxer Four Cylinder Petrol
TRANSMISSION: 7-speed CVT
DRIVETRAIN: AWD
POWER: 136kW
TORQUE: 236Nm
FUEL CONSUMPTION COMBINED: 7.4L/100km
WHEELS: 17-inch Alloy
GROUND CLEARANCE: 220mm
BOOT SPACE: 498L