Subaru "Third-Generation" Forester - Minor Change

Since September 2010, Fuji Heavy Industries just released the new generation Boxer engine, which is the first in more than two decades. Torque output has been increased by horsepower remains stale. The first car to be outfitted with this new-generation Subaru Boxer engine is none other than...

The facelifted third-generation Subaru Forester!





Subaru's next-generation Boxer Engine is now on the third-generation Subaru Forester as the third-generation of Subaru's crossover utility vehicle finally deserves a mid-life facelift, a first after three years of existence since its debut in December 2007.

The only thing changed on the exterior is the grille, only this time, it looks more similar to the Subaru Impreza XV. If you step inside the interior, the major changes happened in the third-generation Forester's minor facelift is the new climate control and upgraded instrumental cluster.





With that new dashboard, the Forester's minor change is truly a a step forward of being updated especially the Forester's latest nip tuck gets the new-generation Subaru Boxer engine.

The new FB20 DOHC 16-Valve Dual AVCS engine for the new Forester garners a power output of 148PS, torque output of 20kg・m, and the fuel economy of about 15.0 - 15.2km/L. It seems that Fuji Heavy Industries made the new type of boxer engine a bit economical for its increased fuel economy, and its fit to Japan's "eco-car genzei" system. The EJ20 engine for the 2.0XT variant remains stale, meaning nothing's change to the 2.0L Boxer Turbo engine that casts a power output of 230PS, torque output of 32.5kg・m, and the fuel economy of about 12.2 - 13.0km/L. The Forester can be equipped with either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed Automatic transmission based on the customers' tastes.

The Forester S Edition

Making a special addition the facelifted Forester is the new Forester S Edition. The S Edition is equipped with the high-performance EJ25 DOHC Turbo engine that has the power output of 263PS, torque output of 35.4kg・m, and the fuel economy of 9.8km/L. On the outside, you can check on the rear view and you'll see the S-Edition badge on it. On the inside, special S Edition seats in two-tone color, and special S Edition instrumental panel inspired by the fifth-generation Subaru Legacy. There's also a paddle shifters (5-speed automatic) armed on the new S Edition. The S Edition is the best Forester variant for Scooby enthusiasts.

My thoughts about the Forester:

With the new boxer engine added on the Forester's latest nip/tuck, I still got a feeling that the latest minor change pretty much about the same as the previous pre-facelift model. The S Edition, on the other hand, is mostly a cool addition to the Forester, ever since its special preview at the 2010 Australian International Motor Show at Sydney, Australia. The S Edition's 2.5L boxer turbo engine and the 5-speed automatic with paddle shifters made this a fun-to-drive variant. I hope that MotorImage Pilipinas got the memo and bring the Forester facelift with the new boxer engine available. What we still need is the Boxer Diesel engine like the ones in Europe but no, this engine is Euro 5 compliant and we can't get it because we are in a Euro2/3 compliant country. With the Outlander retreated from the Philippine market, guess this would be our suitor of choice.

Photo: Fuji Heavy Industries