Talking about an evolution

Consistency is the key to Subaru's latest Forester, but how long can this successful formula hold out against attention-grabbing newcomers?

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When Subaru first unveiled its Streega concept back in 1995 (see Cool Concepts on page 130), it took the idea of applying its road- and rally-car knowhow to a practical, go-anywhere family vehicle. This may look like a move from the school of the blindingly obvious, but back in the 90s most SUVs were ungainly, ladder-framed entities more focused on the 10% of the time they'd spend off-road than the 90% spent on it.

It formed the blueprint of the Forester, which has gone on to become a midsize-SUV segment staple for more than 30 years and is widely credited with shaping this now hugely popular genre.

The sixth-generation model hasn't been touted as a game-changer, instead looking to further hone the Forester's longstanding virtues of practical packaging, solid build, pleasing road manners and a respectable degree of off-road ability.

But does such consistency remain admirable in a motoring landscape where attention-grabbing newcomers are coming out of the woodwork? Looking at the new Forester, it must be said that Subaru has taken a decidedly conservative tack. The previous model's angular lighting elements and distinctive grille treatment have given way to smoothed-off finishes and an overall look that, while neat in its execution, doesn't exactly stand out. It's a similar story on the mechanical front, where the only major developments have been the nixing of the 2.0-litre flat-fourthe 2.5-litre unit now being the sole offering across the range and some tweaks to the Subaru Global Platform underpinnings to improve torsional rigidity by 10%.