Price: £25,495
Top speed: 118mph
0-62mph: 10.2 seconds
MPG: 47.9
CO2: 156g/km
A few weeks ago, my wife’s uncle organised a family get together to commemorate 100 years since her great-great grandfather had died. We learned she’d had two relatives on the Titanic (neither survived) and another who’d thrown himself down a well when the family business collapsed. Cheery stuff. Most of her ancient relatives had been West Country farm workers. Great Uncle Fred told me: “Oi’ve been cow man, pig man and ditcher.” His friend Albert said he’d been “hedger ’n’ forester”. They were men hardened by decades of physical work. My soft palms felt clammy. I didn’t know what to say. I blurted out: “That’s funny. I’m test driving a Forester this week.” They looked at me in incomprehension. “It’s a new Subaru,” I explained. “Would you like a lift back to the village hall?”
The two men clambered in. Fred’s left leg can’t bend after a cow kicked his knee out years ago. Luckily there is plenty of room in the back row.
Subarus hold a special place in the hearts of men and women who know the land, who use vehicles as tools. The cars are tough, rugged, unbreakable – just like them.
The Forester is Subaru’s bestselling model. The Japanese brand likes to think of it as a smaller, cheaper, slightly more exotic Land Rover. In wellie-wearing circles, it’s the 4x4 for those who are a little canny.
At the heart of the new Forester are two unchanging Subaru technologies: symmetrical all-wheel-drive and an extraordinary four-cylinder Boxer engine. The 2016 Forester has, however, been “refreshed”. Don’t hold your breath. It’s as refreshed as if it’s been wiped over with a hot towel at the end of Chinese meal. The hexagonal grille has been given a “wing” motif and the front bumper has been reshaped (slightly). The headlights themselves are rather clever and now swivel to follow your steering. Considering how much rural action the Forester gets, being able to see further round a bend on an unlit country lane is a big bonus. And, hold the front page, there are new LED lamps at the back…
Inside, the refresh gets more serious – almost a rethink. Posher materials, leathers and piano plastics give it a welcome clubby feel. The satnav is wider and clearer. There is a pleasant sense of hush on the road thanks to thicker glass and better seals. Suspension has been updated, too, so it’s both quieter and smoother.
So what did the old forester think of the new Forester? “I tell ee,” said Albert, “it’s gurt lush.”
Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @MartinLove166
