Forester in urban jungle

Subaru has been busy over the past few months with new car launches and the North American International Auto Show was no different with the arrival of the new Forester. British buyers will have to wait till March for the Forester to go on sale and the new 2.0-litre turbodiesel version won't reach showrooms till the end of 2008.

However, in Detroit, US buyers have the chance to see the petrol-powered models that will also come to the UK. These use a 2.5-litre 'boxer' flat-four engine in normally aspirated and turbocharged forms, with 170- and 225bhp respectively. Naturally, all Foresters have permanent four-wheel drive as standard.

The new Forester is based on the same platform as the new Impreza, so the Forester is now a little longer, wider and taller than its predecessor. However, the new car is still a five-seater rather than trying to squeeze in seven seats.

Subaru has yet to announce UK prices for the new Forester, but it's a safe bet to assume that they will follow on from the current car's with a small premium on top.

Alisdair Suttie