Subaru finally adds Forester diesel auto

Subaru is looking to move back to the pointy end of the mid-size SUV segment with an upgraded 2015 Forester that is more affordable, more refined, better equipped and comes with an automatic diesel variant for the first time.

The diesel-powered Forester was launched here in 2010 and has soldiered on with a manual gearbox – until now.

The advent of a continuously variable transmission, or CVT, provides Subaru with a new avenue of attack on the medium SUV market, plugging a hole in the popular model's line-up, albeit for a $2000 premium at $35,490.

With a handful of mechanical tweaks, the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder boxer engine is claimed to be slightly quieter and more refined now, although power and efficiency are unchanged.

That means peak power of 108kW at 3600rpm and 350Nm of torque from 1600rpm, while economy is rated at 5.9L/100km for the manual and 6.3L/100km for the auto CVT.

Automatic-equipped diesel Forester vehicles now get the X-Mode off-road system but unlike petrol versions there's still no engine idle-stop system for any diesel Forester.

The diesel engines are now compliant with the Euro 6 emissions standard and Subaru reckons its CVT now delivers better response too, which improves towing and overall performance.

Nick Senior, Subaru Australia Managing Director, predicts the new automatic diesel Forester will add 200 sales per month, which would boost its 2014 monthly average of around 1100 sales to 1300, putting it within striking distance of the Toyota RAV4's 1500 sales per month.

"We know through our dealer network that there is significant pent-up demand for Forester auto diesels, not least in regional and rural areas, where the benefits of fuel-efficiency in long-range driving really come to the fore," he said.

In 2014, the Forester was the third-best selling SUV in its segment, behind the RAV4 and Australia's most popular SUV, the Mazda CX-5. The latter sold almost 1800 units per month last year.

Subaru's other secret weapons are price cuts and improved equipment levels.
Forester prices were cut by $1000 in January and now the Japanese car importer has dropped the base-grade variants and signalled further price cuts of up to $3500 on some models, which are as follows:

In addition to the tweaked turbo-diesel, Subaru offers three petrol engines in the Forester: a 2.0-litre boxer four (110kW/198Nm), 2.5-litre boxer four (126kW/235Nm) and the direct-injection 2.0-litre turbo (177kW/350Nm).

The final part of the 2015 model year update for Subaru Forester include minor changes to the exterior, including a shark fin roof antennae and a new colour, Crystal White Pearl. Standard wheels are 17-inch alloys across the range, with a full-size spare specified. Inside there are more advanced infotainment systems and cabin trim enhancements.

All models now come with a 7.0-inch colour touch-screen infotainment system with improved user interface and advanced voice-recognition, while high-end models with satellite-navigation feature smartphone-inspired flick and double-tap functionality.

Stay tuned for a full review of the new CVT-equipped 2015 Forester diesel, and how it copes off-road.