Ian Lamming has his fill of Subaru’s Forester e-Boxer
THERE’S something comforting about a tip run.
Sunday morning, The Archers omnibus blaring forth from the radio and the car packed to the gunwales with stuff that is no longer required in our house.
Old carpet and underlay, cardboard packaging and surplus fitted wardrobe offcuts, mostly for the recycling, thankfully, but some for landfill.
There’s a fair bit of rubbish and from the outside the Subaru Forester only looks medium-sized at best. I’ll never do this in a single run surely. But with abit of careful packing I’m going to do my very best to try.
Pop the electrically operated tailgate and remove the parcel shelf to maximize cabin space. Drop the rear seats, which fold nice and flat, then start doing the automotive Jenga. The wardrobe offcuts are nice and flat and hardly take up any room. They are long but the load bay is longer, which is great.
The carpet could be tricky as it’s quite stiff. The underlay folds easily as it is soft and the carpet kinks usefully in the middle.
In no time at all the job is done, the Forester swallowing easily the detritus. It’s surprising but the Subaru is a bit like that.
They remain a best kept secret among those who live in the country, a hewn-from-granite, utterly dependable, SUV that is as endearing as it is capable.
Forester e-Boxer is unique in offering the 2.0 horizontally-opposed (lying flat) four cylinder petrol engine accompanied by an electric motor, making it the first ever boxer hybrid.
The result is a vehicle that is supremely smooth. The Boxer engine is turbine smooth anyway because the horizontal cylinders don’t have to fight gravity and come vibe free. Then there’s silent running with the electric motor and you have a car that his whisper quiet. The Lineartronic CVT automatic gearbox is excellent too with its smooth action and the ability to hunt and find the engine’s powerband.
Combustion engine and electric motor will run separately or together offering more power, better traction, improved fuel consumption, lower CO2 levels and a very low centre of gravity.
Symmetrical all-wheel-drive capability remains as awesome as it is effective. On the road you’ll hardly notice it as it just gets on with the job. In mud, gravel, ice and snow you will feel the power switch around searching for the wheel with the most grip. It keeps the car going even when other 4x4s falter.
Subaru features a high degree of tech including ‘EyeSight’ which keeps a bi-focal watch on you and the world around you. So when I’m not paying enough attention, facial recognition technology alerts me to keep my eyes on the road and also prompts me to move when the car in front has shifted off its mark.
A dashboard of multiple displays offers a host of information ranging from speed and direction to where the power is going to and from and it all sits in a brand new package that feels utterly luxurious, very upmarket.
Forester e-Boxer’s towing capacity is an impressive 1,870kg and body strength has been increased by 40 per cent compared to the previous model allowing the frame structure to absorb more energy in the event of a collision and reduce noise and vibration. It’s five-star crash-worthy of course. Forester feels solid, safe and dynamic on the road and very refined.
I’ve always been a big fan of Subarus because they offer an enjoyable alternative to mainstream motors. Forester e-Boxer is no exception making the mundane marvellous – even a run to the tip.
Factfile
Forester XE Premium e-Boxer Lineartronic
Engine: 2.0 boxer petrol hybrid
Power: 150PS
0-62mph: 11.8 secs
Top speed: 120mph
Combined miles per gallon: 42
Transmission: CVT auto
CO2 g/km: 154
Price: £40,895.00
