The new Forester has permanent Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive underpinning its body. Everything from engine to transmission, transfer to propeller shaft and rear differential is arranged in a straight line, without the deviations found in other 4WD systems. This, combined with the lightweight Boxer engine, gives neutral balance and perfect weight distribution for poise, stability and grip, keeping you where you should be. On the road.

As you’d expect from Subaru, the Forester leads its class in both active and passive safety. The permanent AWD system ensures power is transmitted to whichever wheels have the most traction, giving you maximum grip in almost any driving condition. You’ll also find 4-sensor/4-channel ABS and our Vehicle Dynamics Control System (2.5 automatic) to give greater control during evasive manoeuvres.

Inside you’ll feel secure with a ring shaped reinforcement frame, side impact and steering column protection beams, dual front and side airbags, as well as seatbelt pre-tensioners and active headrests. In fact, the Forester is so safe, you might not want to ever get out.

We don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that you’re looking at the ultimate SUV. After all,the ‘S’ stands for ‘Sports’, which is something that most other manufacturers seem to have forgotten. And to suit your individual requirements and tastes, the new Forester comes in four models – each one a class leader.