2020 Foz - nothing to get excited about!

That's not much of a difference vs current models. I think they are still testing the international markets for the Forester hybrid or, maybe, they just want to keep sure profitability of the hybrids in Japan as the EVs are coming soon? Rumours are they will be out in 2021 with the new Toyota battery tech. Cheers.
 
Yes, they already released the PHEV Forester in Japan in 2018. Sooner or later, we will be able to import 2nd hand ones and I know Subaruers in the South Island who are anticipating the arrival of those.

My next vehicle will be electric but I don't mind a hybrid XV or Forester. As of the moment, they are the only vehicles with Electric motors that can go properly off-road. Other manufacturers prohibit such actions but Subaru doesn't, at all.
 
I think Subaru will have another competition soon: Rivian.

While rivian may focus on affluent (>$75K) if subaru does it right, they can price their <$45K (USD) and still win.
 
Not to mention dependability. It is a relatively new company and we are not sure how they support off-roading with their electric trucks due to warranty concerns. Reliablity is a concern, as well. The company has no track record so in terms of reliability we won't be sure how it will perform. The new customers will be the alpha testers and should hope that the company breaks even soon.
 
I am able to test drive the SK recently and I would like to share my insights.

Unlike in the US, we do not have a specific place to test the vehicle on the dirt. There may have been an event before but those were only for journalists.

Room: There's plenty of room just like the SJ. That may be the reason why many choose the Forester after coming from real 4x4s. There are even more hooks and points of attachments than ever. Subarus are very utilitarian.

Visibility: The designers are able to maintain Subaru's trademark visibility while adopting a newish design.

Handling: On chicanes, I noticed that it has a lower roll-rate but much higher roll-speed vs the older models. It is able to do this while it has high frequency dampening. That's just good engineering.

Infotainment: It is good and functional but the worry about this comes out when software support has expired. I have seen newer vehicles with double DIN adapters and updated head-units and they seem to perform better than built-in entertainment systems. There isn't really that much of an advantage here with the newer models. In fact, if one has a double DIN pocket, he/she can immediately get that new car infotainment system by installing top-of-the-line models from good brands.

Drivetrain: The CVT belt tightens much more quickly than the previous models. The torque converter has a very aggressive lock-up, like what I experience with my SportShift. Power delivery is impressive. If I am going to take this off-road, I would just use manual mode to make sure that the ratio is locked up and the CVT belt won't keep searching for the best ratio all the time, increasing wear in the process.

EyeSight: It's the best in class as it's very active and 2 cameras are better than 1. That being said, I still prefer my own eyesight.

Not much here. I keep my cars as long as possible but test newer models every 10 years to check if I am missing something. I do this in my spare time or after a meeting around Wairau Park, where the dealers are located.

For me, if one owns a Subaru that has the Ring-shaped Reinforcement Frame, there is no need to upgrade, unless more room is required. Cheers.
 
I was looking at the specs of the 2.0 E-Boxer Forester today and have decided it's a gimmick; not worth the extra $, especially when a traction battery replacement becomes due, lower power than the 2.5 and not much fuel saved overall
 
Yh they should put larger more powerfull battery there for hybrid like others did, anyway they will go full electric sooner or later . Subaru wont ever be same as it was for 80-00 models. They will go for more city cars
 
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