Diesel Powered Forester
Subaru recently launched the long-awaited Subaru Forester Diesel. Since 2008, the world’s first flat 4 cylinder diesel motor was used in Subaru Legacy and Outback. Subaru specially manufactured and engineered the same engine to be utilized in the newly launched Forester 2.0D. This is by far the “greenest” Subaru which boasts outstanding fuel economy.
Quoting Subaru, ?this is the world?s first horizontally-opposed diesel engine to be featured in a passenger car. This is the Subaru Boxer Diesel.? The outstanding engineering of the engine generates low vibration and highly reactive acceleration. This is not your typical diesel engine. The boxer diesel sports a specially designed 6-speed manual transmission. There are no current plans to offer this model in automatic.
Features of the Forester 2.0D include a very compact engine with an aluminum block to lessen weight. The Forester has superior handling, has large space and leg room, and is fuel economical. Fuel consumption for the basic Forester is about 45 mpg. The Forester has a 14 gallon fuel tank, and that means you can go a long way on a tank of fuel (about 850 miles). The Forester?s towing capacity is greater at lower revs, than other comparable vehicles. In spite of being considerably taller than previous versions of the Forester, the new diesel engine lowers the center of gravity on the car.
While the engine does have a diesel sound (after all, it is a diesel), the sound is not excessive or cloying. The ride is smooth and definitely is more car-like than truck-like. There are five comfortable seats, which all have plenty of leg and headroom. No matter how the seats are adjusted, they are comfortable and plush. The back seats fold perfectly flat. Visibility in the car is excellent, thanks to the wide expanse of glass.
Extras include 17-inch alloy wheels (instead of the standard 16-inch), roof rails, and a seven-speaker surround-sound audio system. Forester Diesel options include a navigation system and leather seats.
So, this is a car that is a pleasure to drive, that has good fuel efficiency, that is well-designed for the comfort of the driver and passengers. Definitely worth a close look.
