With Subaru’s latest chunky off-road ready offering, the Forester now has a hybrid e-Boxer version which means that there is now a hybrid powertrain version available. Out on the road the e-boxer has that adventure ready look that buyers in this class will appreciate, which is helped no end by the relatively high ride height and chunky black rear lights trims.
It’s quite a spacious car and gives that big car feel. Thanks to the styling, it has Subarus go anywhere, no nonsense approach, which is reflected in the interior.
Special mention : Comfort and space are the e-Boxers strong points
Needs work : Hybrid + Petrol engine could be a more refined marriage
Specs: As tested
| Max Power 150 HP | Petrol / Auto |
| 0-100 km/h in 11.8 seconds | Road Tax €390 |
| Price €49,245 | Boot 520 / 1779 litres |
The use of rubberised materials gives it that feeling of go anywhere which customers expect a car of this type to do. In the centre of the dash you’ve got a large central infotainment screen which has sat nav and media functions as well as Apple Carplay for your smartphone and above that is another screen which shows information about the hybrid powertrain.
While you’re driving you can see in real time, where the energy is flowing between the battery and the motor itself. The hybrid powertrain doesn’t intrude on boot space and that means you get 520 litres of space back there.
The e-Boxer uses a 2 litre flat 4 engine with 150 hp which is linked to a small electric motor and Lithium ion battery. It means that at lower speeds the e-Boxer can run on electric power alone. At higher speeds the petrol engine drives all four wheels through the CVT gearbox and gets to 100km/h in 11.2 seconds. Subaru claims WLTP figures of 8.1l/100km.
If you’re expecting to come to the Subaru e-Boxer and get in and drive around silently on all electric power for most of your driving commute then you’re going to be disappointed as it can’t do what plug-in hybrids do and go around for twenty or thirty Kilometres on Hybrid power alone.
However that e-power does come in at lower speeds, so when you’re creeping away from the lights or when you’re driving around a car park for instance it will then run on electric power.
It does use a CVT gearbox and there’s quite a whine when you step hard on the accelerator. Subaru strive to engineer some steps into the gearbox to give the feeling of a traditional automatic gearbox. This means that when you’re joining traffic or when you’re just wanting to overtake, it’s quite loud and not so quiet in the cabin, a little more refinement and sound damping would be welcome here.
The steering is relatively accurate while body control is good too.
The ride is nicely firm, there’s not as much body roll as you’d expect given this SUVs size and shape. Likewise visibility out the front is good thanks to the thin pillars, driver height and the view at the back is excellent too.
Subaru has fitted a range of assistance systems and that means it incorporates lane departure control and emergency autonomous braking. It also means it gets predictive cruise control so you set the car to a speed where it detects the car in front and it adjusts its speed depending on the driver in front. In practice it works very well and it makes longer journeys fly by without the need to be constantly monitoring your speed because the car does it for you.
At speeds over the ‘commuter creep’, the engine is actively replenishing the amount of charge in the battery so when you’re traveling at greater speeds the car itself is making sure there’s enough charge left for use later. However, you’re not really going to trouble the batteries too much, it’s about those shorter urban commutes where that EV power ensures emissions are down and economy is improved mostly here.
The Subaru e-Boxer Forester is chunky to look at, it’s quite good off-road and it’s relatively spacious inside. Now with this new hybrid version, it does broaden its appeal which means that people who do want an electrified Subaru, now have the option.