4x4 review: Diesel latecomer Subaru’s Forester is far from lumbering

The Japanese company has been smashing its own path through the undergrowth for almost 60 years, building up a loyal following by sticking resolutely to its formula of boxer engines (Google it and prepare to be baffled) and all-wheel-drive layouts.

All the while, it has never missed an opportunity to turn conventional car company thinking on its head. So we should hardly be surprised that it took Subaru until early 2008 to launch its first flat-four diesel engine on to the market. Never mind that everyone else had been doing derv for two decades – nobody tells Subaru to hurry.

The first Subarus to go over to the diesel side were the Legacy saloon and estate and Impreza hatchback, followed by the Forester SUV. A few recent tweaks to the engine have improved economy and emissions. Subaru sent us a top-of-the-range Forester XS Navplus model to test, so off we went into the wilds to see if diesel and Subarus mix. First things first, that engine – most of the time you’ll forget you’re driving a diesel, because it certainly doesn’t sound like one. That peculiar piston arrangement gives the engine the same distinctive burble as its petrol-powered stablemates. Clattery it’s not.

Where the diesel really scores over the petrol, though, is at the pumps. Subaru promises around 44mpg (compared to 37mpg for the 2.0-litre petrol car) in everyday driving and that’s exactly what we got at the end of a week of testing. In a world where manufacturer’s economy figures seem to owe more to fantasy than reality, we applaud Subaru’s honesty.

The engine pulls strongly and smoothly from low down in the rev range. Subaru quotes a 0-62mph time of 10.4 seconds, but the Forester feels much faster. The engine sits low down, giving what is quite a tall car a low centre of gravity, which is good if you need to press on.

The Mk1 Forester was a boxy affair and, although the current model is far more conventional-looking, you’d hardly call it pretty. That’s not a complaint, just an observation. If you like your cars quirky, the Forester will be right up your off-road trail.

It’s also bigger than its predecessor in every direction, which means more space in the cabin, where five sit in comfort. And we mean comfort. The Navplus model’s leather seats felt like they were filled with marshmallow, and the soft-set suspension cushioned the bumps well. Standard features on our range-topper include 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless smart entry, a reversing camera and, as its name suggests, satnav built into the dashboard.