Subaru Forester 2006: More power and refinement for Subaru's smallest SUV

Not only were driving performance and utilities enhanced, but sophisticated design and quality looks have been significantly improved. While the exterior design expresses dynamism and power, the interior design focuses on convenience, improved utility and quality, and includes such features as water-resistant fabric and interior lining, a multifunctional center console, and greater functionality in the rear luggage space.

* Blending the best features of an SUV and a passenger car, the crossover SUV presents a vehicle suited to every driving occasion.

The history:

Subaru sedans and wagons have for long spearheaded a new era of capable vehicles without the traditional excess or bulk that truck-based SUVs had. But the story of a small Japanese company's efforts to produce a smarter SUV came to fruit when Subaru introduced the compact Forester in 1997.

Classified as a compact sport utility vehicle, Subaru had effectively entered the SUV scene, but unlike its competition, the Forester was the most car-like vehicle by a long, windy country mile. It showed the public that an SUV need not be overly tall to deliver the same versatility and off-road performance as a typical vehicle, and because of it, the Forester had the upper hand in many categories, including off-road performance, on-road performance, crash worthiness, interior space and fuel consumption.

In its nine years of production, the Forester has evolved once, with a major update back in late 2002. As an act of keeping up with the times, it became safer, more refined and a lot faster when it gained a turbocharger - the guts, which helped back up its more stylish exterior.

With such an accomplished vehicle in its current state, it came as quite a surprise that Subaru unveiled an updated version of the Forester for 2006 at a press conference in Dubai. Why the update after just three years?

Mr.Nayyar Zaidi, Sales Manager - Subaru, says,

'Subaru Forester's popularity has steadily increased with each new accolade it achieves for its outright performance. Forester continues to surprise and delight customers. As far as the automotive industry is concerned, there is no better way to keep winning favorable comments in the press and surprising consumers than by introducing regular, meaningful updates and improvements.'

The look

With the update, the Forester has received a full frontal facelift. Visually, the current Forester is a determined looking vehicle, with chiseled headlamps and a chrome-lined trapezoidal grille. Add to that a well-defined front bumper, oversized fog lamps and a hood scoop (XT Turbo only), and it almost comes across as sinister. Sandwiched between the lights is a new, larger grille with a deeper inset, which keeps the upside-down trapezoid shape. Smaller projector-beam fog lamps replace massive, rally-style lamps which flow into rolled fender arches and the rest of the body-color cladding - an overall elegant image.

At the back, reshaped tail lamps with jewel-like clear lenses accompany a chrome trim panel below the rear window. New badging, including the six-star Subaru logo replaces the corporate Subaru text. Other minor alterations were also made, including standard body-color bumpers for base models, and body-color mirrors with integrated turn signals (unavailable on base trim level). The range-topping L.L. Bean models will be the only Foresters available with a two-tone paint scheme, in either platinum silver, or steel gray.

The power within

If the appearance of the new Forester doesn't quite move you, the upgraded engines certainly will. The naturally aspirated 2.5-liter boxer (horizontally opposed) four-cylinder has received its first major boost in power since 1997. Since then, the 165-horsepower 2.5-liter H-4, featuring 162 lb-ft of torque, has been the staple engine for most Subarus, including the Legacy and the Impreza.

Linked to the upgraded engines are two slightly revised gearboxes. Both the five-speed manual and the four-speed automatic have new gear ratios in order to optimize performance and fuel economy, while the four-speed automatic now features adaptive shift points which adjust to the drivers input and vehicle load to improve performance. The symmetrical all-wheel drive system has also been adjusted to provide better performance and handling.

With its low center of gravity, car-like dimensions and powerful engines, the Forester is often considered one of the best driving vehicles in its class. To enforce its position as an SUV, Subaru has raised the ground clearance on all models from 7.50 inches to 8.07 inches, and 7.87 inches on XT models, for increased capability on all road surfaces. Other changes to the Forester include new springs and shock absorbers for a smoother ride and reduced body roll, as well as a lateral crossbeam to improve structural rigidity for better handling. As an added bonus, L.L. Bean models feature a self-leveling suspension to keep the car horizontal to the pavement even when fully loaded. A recalibrated brake booster has been added to improve pedal feel during hard braking.

The verdict

With so many compact sport utility vehicles on the market, it is sometimes difficult to see the individual trees in the forest, but the updated Forester does an excellent job of standing out. Its hard not to sound repetitive when speaking about its track record, but many feel that there really is nothing that can top it for on-road performance, overall capability, and passenger safety.