Subaru Forester History

Subaru Forester Manufacturer: Subaru Production: 1998 - present Class: Sport utility vehicle Body style: 4-door hatchback Engines: 2.5 L Flat-4 2.5 L Turbo Flat-4 Shares components with: Saab 9-2X Subaru Impreza Similar models: Honda CR-V Toyota RAV4 Ford Escape

Subaru Forester

The Subaru Forester, released in the US in 1998, is a lightweight, small crossover SUV based on the Subaru Impreza platform and drivetrain. As with all Subaru models marketed in the United States of America and other international markets since the early 1990s, the Forester is equipped with an All wheel drive (AWD) transmission. Subaru advertising employed the slogan "SUV tough, Car Easy" to appeal to the SUV-oriented market; and to this end, the Forester has features associated with SUVs such as a large, boxy cargo area and more ground clearance than other Subaru models (although it employs a car-like unibody chassis, rather than the body-on-frame construction associated with trucks and larger SUVs).

In 2003, a turbocharged Forester, the XT, was released alongside the naturally-aspirated XS. The XT model features a 2.5 L turbocharged engine with a turbo system similar to that of the Subaru Impreza WRX (in fact, the engine in the Forester XT is most similar to the engine used in the U.S.-market Subaru Impreza WRX STi).

The 2003 model Forester features weight-saving refinements such as an aluminium bonnet (hood), perforated rails, and a hydro-formed front frame. The Forester was Car and Driver magazine's Best Small SUV for 2004 and 2005.

2006

For 2006, the Forester exterior was updated with a more upscale look. Just two models are to be produced:

• 2.5 X - naturally-aspirated 2.5 L flat-4, 173 hp (129 kW)
• 2.5 XT Limited - turbocharged 2.5 L flat-4, 250 hp (186 kW)

In India the Subaru Forester is marketed as a Chevrolet Forester, and has the turbocharged 2.5 L flat-4, 250 hp (186 kW) engine.

Awards

• Winner Australia's Best Recreational Four Wheel Drive in 2000
• Winner Australia's Best Recreational Four Wheel Drive in 2001
• Winner Australia's Best Recreational Four Wheel Drive in 2002
• Car and Driver's Best Small SUV 2004
• Car and Driver's Best Small SUV 2005