- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.5T, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
169kW, 320Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 10.5L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2008)
2009 Subaru Forester XT Premium Road Test Review
“Subaru says it’ll do the 0-100km/h sprint in 7.9 seconds, but this feels faster than that.”
I know I’m stating the obvious here, but there really is no such thing as the perfect multi-purpose car.
Finding a vehicle that adequately addresses the contradictory demands of a family-size load lugger, a sports car and an off-roader is simply nigh-on impossible, but that doesn’t mean manufacturers don’t try to build 'em.
Case in point: Subaru’s Forester. With permanent all-wheel-drive, a rugged and spacious wagon body and generous ground clearance, the Forester line is squarely targeted at those who want to get a little closer to nature – so long as they can return to civilization by nightfall.
Throw in the turbocharged EJ25 flat-four motor from the WRX, and you’ve got the Forester XT (nee GT), a sports-oriented version of the surprisingly large soft-roader.
So, with the XT, has Subaru managed to come up with a package that can deliver sporty performance and solid off-road ability that’s still comfortable enough with a full load of children and shopping on board? We got our hands on the 2008 Forester XT Premium to find out.
Engine type Horizontally-opposed 4-cyclinder, 4 stroke petrol engine Capacity 2,457cc Bore x Stroke 99.5 x 79.0 Number of cylinders 4 Compression Ratio 8.4 Max Power 169kW @ 5200 RPM Max Torque 320Nm @ 2800 RPM Type of injection Multi-point injection (MPI) Transmission Electronic 4-speed SPORTSHIFT Economy 10.5L/100Km Front suspension McPherson strut type, independent suspension Rear suspension Self- levelling Double wishbone type, independent suspension Wheels 7.0 J 17 Tyres 225/55 R17 Brakes front Ventilated discs Brakes rear discs Fuel tank capacity 60L Unladen kerb weight 1,525 Luggage compartment volume 450L rear seats up, 1,610L rear seats down.