Subaru Forester e-Boxer review: high spec and off-road ability overshadowed by poor economy and performance

I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for the Subaru Forester. The second-generation was one of the first cars I test drove professionally and in the days before every brand was churning out SUVs, it impressed with its mixture of rugged looks, practicality and, in turbocharged XT form, surprising turn of speed.

Of course times have changed and you can’t move for jacked-up, plastic clad lifestyle vehicles these days, so is there still a place for the chunky, all-wheel-drive offering from Japan?

Externally, the Forester retains some of the boxy, rugged styling that made the early models appealing. It’s bigger and some of the simplicity has been lost but it still has a certain charm, as long as you pick your colour and trim level carefully. I’m not sure the bright red highlights of Sport spec did much to complement the black finish of our test car.