First ride: Subaru Forester now with CVT in the revised Boxer Diesel

Subaru now packs the Lineartronic in the Diesel at the Forester

Forester, which has been on the German market since 1997, has long been the face of the Subaru brand. From March 28th it will now also be available with the two-liter boxer diesel in combination with the Lineartronic. The Japanese manufacturer, whose all-wheel drive expertise is undeniable, understands Lineartronic to be a continuously variable transmission, also called CVT transmission for short. Subaru has been using this type of automatic transmission since 2009 and installed it for the first time in 2013 in the outback with a boxer diesel.

The station wagon became an SUV 

When Subaru introduced the Forester 18 years ago, the 1st generation still came as a four-wheel drive station wagon. Only in the course of time, with the introduction of the SUV segment and changing customer requirements, did the Forester "grow up". As a vehicle with permanent all-wheel drive, it has always been at the forefront in this segment. While only petrol engines were installed in the 2nd generation (from autumn 2002), a two-liter boxer diesel unit was introduced for the first time with the third generation (from spring 3). In the 2008th generation (since 4) the Lineartronic is now finding its way in combination with the simultaneously redesigned diesel engine.

The engineers from Nippon im Forester wanted to offer a high level of safety, driving fun and reliability with their on- and off-road capabilities. They also set themselves the task of not only defining an SUV by its multitude of purposes, but also generally offering its users stress-free driving over long distances and under difficult conditions. We were able to test whether this was successful during a first test drive with the Forester 2.0 Boxer Diesel with Lineartronic from Munich to the tranquil Kleinwalstertal.

With its 350 Newton meters of torque, the 2.0 liter diesel boxer drives the Forester well

The boxer diesel provides us with 108 kW (147 PS). While this may seem a little low at a curb weight of around 1.6 tonnes at first glance, we are quickly taught a bit more with torque from 350 Newton meters at 1.600 to 2.400 revs. The top speed of about 188 km / h we could not extend unfortunately, but came to the specified consumption of 6,1 liters combined for it very close.

With three engines, the drive remains clear on the Forester. For the two petrol engines, each with 2 liter displacement joins the now revised diesel engine with the same capacity. All three engines are four-cylinder Boxer engines. So Subaru maintains its engine philosophy and continues to optimize this technology. Due to their design, the engines can be installed low, resulting in a cheaper center of gravity. The smooth running of the engine and the smoother running provide important arguments for comfort.

The very low side sills make it very easy to get into the Forester. An additional step with a non-slip surface makes access easier for children. In general, the dimensions of the Forester comfortably accommodate five people. When fully seated, the 505 liters load volume is more than ample. With the seats folded down, 1.592 liters fit up to the edge of the roof. After shopping in the furniture or hardware store, items can be easily loaded through the large tailgate, which can be operated electrically either via a button on the dashboard or the remote control of the vehicle key.

Customer demands are not just a requirement for Subaru.

In order to meet the demands and wishes of its customers, Subaru put together a total of six equipment variants - Trend, Active, Comfort, Exclusive, Platinum and Sport - with different engine and transmission variants. In terms of price, the Japanese carmaker starts with the Forester 2.0X Trend and 6-speed manual transmission at € 25.900. As with all Subaru Forester models, the “Symmetrical AWD” all-wheel drive is standard on board. For our test vehicle, the Forester 2.0D Sport Lineartronic, Subaru calls from € 40.700.

And finally ...

All 6 emissions are not just completely adequate, they also combine comfort, driving pleasure and reliability.

 

Subaru Forester 2.0 Boxer Diesel with Lineartronic

Photos in the article: Stefan Beckmann Cover photo: Stefan Beckmann