Subaru Forester e-Boxer review

Perhaps the first thing to note is that Subaru has taken what are very much baby steps into the world of hybridisation with the Forester e-Boxer. In fact, the e-Boxer’s battery is so small that it can only manage around a mile of all-electric range at speeds of up to 25mph.

And as there’s no EV-only button, you’ll find yourself engaging the internal combustion engine if you're ultra gentle with the throttle pedal. This isn’t a 48-volt mild hybrid, but it certainly feels like one. In fact, it sometimes feels just like an effective start/stop system.

WHY DOES THE E-BOXER EXIST AT ALL, THEN?

Well, this was the first Subaru in Europe to offer hybrid power, so if it was designed to not scare off rurally based customers, they’ll have been pleasantly surprised. If you still do plenty of town driving and want something that’ll run on electric power alone, a full plug-in hybrid would be a better option.

Particularly because it’s not as efficient as you’d expect. Subaru claims around town you can expect to see a 10 per cent improvement in fuel economy versus the old Forester, yet we still only managed just over 35mpg on a mixed run. Not great.

It makes do with a CVT gearbox too, meaning you really have to rev it to get any kind of momentum, resulting in plenty of noise under acceleration. It’s particularly noticeable in slow moving traffic around town and when overtaking on motorways, not helped by the lethargic 0-62mph time of 11.8 seconds.

WHAT’S THE RIDE LIKE?

Impressively soft – in part thanks to the high sidewalled tyres – and the improvement to the coil springs and dampers as part of the mid-life facelift, which improves ride and handling. Nothing special, but it’s dynamic enough for something of this size. And it’s not like you’re going to be sending this round a track anyway.

All e-Boxers also get Subaru’s EyeSight safety system as standard, including Adaptive Cruise Control, Pre-Collision Braking, Pre-Collision Throttle Management, Lane Sway and Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist and Lead Vehicle Start Alert.

Sounds a lot, but as ever you’d likely only notice the systems at the point of truly needing them. The only thing we found too intrusive in daily driving was the Pre-Collision Braking, which kicked in on more than one occasion for no apparent reason.

WHAT ABOUT OFF THE BEATEN TRACK?

Subaru knows off-road capability will probably be just as important to Forester buyers as on-road performance, so it has covered that base with its Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system and an X-Mode dial that can switch between normal, snow/dirt and deep snow/mud modes. Ground clearance stands at 220mm.

The lack of a torquey diesel option may disappoint frequent towers, though Subaru claims it still has a towing capacity of 1,870kg.