FHI Introduces All-New Subaru Forester

Tokyo — Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the maker of Subaru automobiles, today announced the debut of its new generation of Subaru Forester in Japan. The new Forester went on sale nationwide through Subaru dealerships today.

The third-generation Forester is a new-generation crossover SUV from Subaru, a car that meets the demands and needs of everyday driving. It has been designed around the concept of Best Package for Active Life, which blends high levels of comfort, performance, versatility, and safety to create the best and most versatile vehicle for drivers and their families to enjoy an active lifestyle.

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FYI, it's now bigger than the Escape, and a shade smaller than an X3.

North American version with 2.5 L engine debuts at the NAIAS (previous release).

See, I think being an AWD wagon is what really set the Forester apart from the crowd. Now it's just a RAV-4/CRV wannabe.

See, I think being an AWD wagon is what really set the Forester apart from the crowd. Now it's just a RAV-4/CRV wannabe.

Subaru has the AWD wagon market covered with the Outback, though.. it looks like the Forester is still just a tall wagon, nothing 'SUV' about it.

Edited December 26, 200718 yr by moltar

upsizing this was smart, but it does underscore how badly they botched the tribeca.

I wonder if Saab at one time was to have gotten a version.

New Forester? GirlGirls of the world are ecstatic.

Will we get a turbo again?

The old Forester was one of the most reasonable vehicles out there--right sized, economical, and capable. The new one looks a lot like a Toyota.

Will we get a turbo again?

My money's on the flat-six migrating over from the Legacy - they're beginning to make that the "volume" engine for American Subarus, it seems.

I think it will be attractive to people who are already considering a Subaru product, but I don't think it will bring many new customers into Subie showrooms. I don't really know how well executed Subaru's products are, but they seem to have adopted a very dowdy styling aesthetic lately. I know the bold styling utilized for the B9 Tribeca wasn't successful (or attractive), but it is a shame to see them retreat to total blandness. I wish they could develop an attention grabbing style direction that would create excitement and genuinely attract new customers to the brand.

It is UGLAYYY.

Yes it will have a turbo. C&D reported that to be the case.

Or you could have just read the earlier NAIAS release and found "The 2009 Forester offers naturally aspirated and turbocharged/intercooled 2.5-liter Boxer engines, both revised to provide better low-end and mid-range torque for more responsive everyday performance."

I hope the US market isn't getting that nerdy third mirror. I know it's a Japanese thing, but it doesn't look right. The grille is terrible; like the Impreza, it looks like an afterthought.

Just what the world needs, another boring little SUV.

God, Subaru sure fell hard after introducing the superb Legacy. The exterior is a Korean mix of boring and ugly, and the interior looks to be the same. Shame.