My experience of engineers is that they’re hardly the life of the dinner party. They can hold their own if the conversation turns to absolute zero, gaming and bridge building or sometimes just bridge, but otherwise I’m an arts student who’s totally rubbish at holding their attention.
The one thing that does bring me closer to the sort is if I’m ever brandishing the keys of a Subaru. Engineers live for these heavy metal, mentalist, Japanese rally machines. And it’s understandable when you climb behind the wheel of one and realise the engineering that goes into one. The latest Forester S-Edition feels like its been engineered to within an inch of its life. It’s essentially the body of a sensible Subaru Forester SUV, but with the drivetrain of a WRX munching away underneath. The WRX is a white knuckle sandwich of a sedan we like very much. A 2.5-litre turbo charged boxer motor; making 193kW and 347Nm, spewing its power to all four wheels with permanent four wheel drive.
The Forester S-Edition comes with Subaru’s Variable Torque Distribution that precisely controls the power delivery between all four wheels. Normally 45:55 between front and rear, it can go 20:80 to the rear if needs must. That helps you going at maximum attack speeds in any condition, anywhere. The sprouting paddles from behind the wheel point to the transmission being a five speed automatic just like the newest gearbox additions to the WRX and WRX STI sedan range. That may sound like a downer for the rally enthusiasts who might actually be interested in this car; as an upgrade replacement to their STI’s that have become unusable for the family chores over time. But the automatic works pretty seamlessly through nice, sharp ratios, and aside from needing a sixth gear for better economy probably, I didn’t find the auto cog swapper to be anything like the killjoy I thought it was going to be. In fact, it’s rather a welcome pleasure in a Subaru; to let ‘it’ handle the savage job of meating out all that power and torque without a worrying about a wiffy clutch wafting through the cabin every now and then.
The first kudos we can award the Forester S-Edition is for the chassis riding on top of all that WRX hardware. It only takes a few corners to cotton on to the fact that this Forester is not the lethargic SUV you’d forgive it for being. When it’s forced to hustle through some corners, it’s willing to turn in hard and change direction with g-inducing conviction. It doesn’t roll a lot under heavy cornering and doesn’t feel anything like the hard, compromised weapon you may imagine with those STI wheels and that big bonnet scoop. It’s still an SUV don’t forget but it feels every piece the WRC derived car it indirectly is.
The power in the Forester S-Edition is immense, with 0-100kph coming in a claimed 6.5sec. That’s faster than a Golf GTI and very impressive for a tall, all wheel drive, automatic SUV. It will hit 228kph at the top end. The in gear power and engine note (which I’m not a fan of however, it sounds like an industrial strength vacuum cleaner) isn’t over sanitised either. The only thing equally immense as the speed is the fuel consumption. However, I’m always going on about the poor fuel consumption in Subaru’s and am becoming a bit baa-humbug about it. It’s a WRX (not exactly an Earl Grey drinker don’t forget) that’s heavier and less aerodynamic. I used up a 60-litre tank in 250km. Well, what were you expecting? That’s and average consumption of 24-litres per 100km.
All in all though, because of the S-Edition’s rally derived engineering, there are almost no better SUV’s you can throw around a bumpy, deserted and muddy back road. You really can think of it as a mini Porsche Cayenne Turbo for a fraction of the cost: R459, 000. (Apologies, excuse the incorrectly quoted price in the video.) The ride quality and dynamism on adverse terrain is something out of this world.
Kudos can also go to the ‘social engineers’ at Subaru who had a hand in the Forester S-Edition. The challenges of everyday mobility put in front of it have been handled with very little fuss. The cabin is spacious and the go-fast, cerise night lighting in the cabin is very midnight club and cool. Steering is light and manageable and the cruise control came in useful on the highway. And let’s admit it shall we, it’s vastly easier on the eye than some of its recent Subaru brethren. It’s ‘enough’ SUV, and ‘enough’ turbo-nutter-rally-Subaru to please those from either camp.
Fast Facts
Model: Subaru Forester S-Edition
Engine: 2.5-litre, Horizontally Opposed, 4-cylinder, Turbo
Price: R 459,000
Tech: 193kW @ 6000rpm and 347Nm @ 4000rpm
Top Speed: 228kph, 0-100kph in 6,5sec (claimed)
Come on…
The S-Edition is a decent car for sure, but seriously “doesn’t roll a lot under heavy cornering”? Compared to what? It rolls massively compared to something like a Cayenne or X5, doesn’t have the sort of front-end grip of these cars, but is a lot cheaper. Shouldn’t the honest truth be enough?