2014 Subaru Forester designers piled on the refinements

Imagine an SUV with all-wheel-drive, that offers superior weight balance and maneuverability and has the ride comfort of a sedan. That is what Subaru engineers and design team set out to accomplish when they redesigned the new 2014 Forester. Because of the tall ride height of SUV’s, they have a very high center of gravity. This handicaps SUV’s severely in how they can maneuver, in ride comfort and fuel-economy. The 2014 Subaru Forester design team went to work to eliminate those driver dissatisfactions.

Subaru’s Symmetrical all-wheel-drive

The new Forester comes equipped with Subaru’s Symmetrical all-wheel-drive for greater handling in all-weather and road conditions. But the Forester features a unique Boxer engine that sits low in the chassis and gives the 2014 crossover superior weight balance and maneuverability. The boxer engine design is one of the key factors in what makes the 2014 Forester different from other SUV’s. The 2014 Forester was redesigned from the ground up to take advantage of that potential in the engine design.

Repeated runs with the Forester mules

The design team, led by Project General Manager Takuji Dai, had a goal to boost overall ride comfort and stability of the crossover at high speeds and in the corners. Repeated runs by test drivers in various track conditions at the Fuji Speedway, helped Subaru reach their goals. The results were recorded and then sent to Dai and the design team.

Hazard tests were also conducted in North America and Europe and on test tracks and roads around the world. The Forester is a global car that will fit the needs of buyers around the world. The team took the Forester test mules to North America, Australia and Eurasia for testing on city streets, highways and back country roads.

Local residents were included in the tests

The team even included local residents from around the globe in the tests as well to get their feedback and help in the developmental process. The Forester test mules towed trailers in the mountains and it was taken off-road during the testing. All the data was compiled and was used to improve the new Forester. The goal was to improve ride comfort in all driving situations and especially on bumpy and uneven road surfaces.

The team then went to work to make the necessary improvements to thoroughly eliminate the effects of the changing road conditions. Anyone who rides in the new Forester will notice the high quality of ride comfort the new crossover has to offer. This was all the result of the extensive testing done around the globe.

Impressive fuel-economy for an SUV

All-wheel-drive usually means poor fuel economy, but Subaru set out to have the new Forester achieve the same fuel economy as that of a two-wheel-drive vehicle. The engine and transmission team worked together to improve fuel economy and target two-wheel-drive performance. The new Forester is equipped with a Lineartronic CVT automatic which draws out maximum engine efficiency from the Boxer engine. 2.5i models with the CVT achieve manufacturer-estimated fuel economy ratings of 24 mpg city / 32 mpg highway / 27 mpg combined.

The new Forester offers superior ride comfort, weight balance, maneuverability and offers fuel economy at the top of its class. The 2014 Subaru Forester performs well in all conditions from city streets, highways and back country dirt roads. The new Forester is truly a global SUV. Subaru has come up with another vehicle that is sure to be a success.

Watch the 4th-generation Forester development video chapter 2 below.