| First Drive | Thessaloniki, Greece | Subaru Forester |

The Subaru Forester has always been a quirky looker; until now. In its first and second generations, Subaru's mid-size SUV has been somewhere between an off-roader and an estate car in the appearance department. Now, with the third generation, Subaru has pushed the Forester much further in the mainstream style stakes to help the Japanese firm push overall sales in the UK to around twice what they currently are. Has anything of the Forester left-field appeal been lost in its translation? We went to find out on the torturous roads of Greece.

In the Metal

The original and second generation Foresters have always been instantly recognisable as Subarus. Their estate-on-stilts appearance may not have won many beauty contests, but it definitely won the hearts and wallets of a devoted bunch of buyers. Many of these customers have turned into serial Forester owners, so Subaru's reinterpretation of the Forester has a lot riding on it. The looks may be less idiosyncratic, but the new Forester is good looking and has just enough attitude to manage the off-roader image without trampling on the enviro-lobby's tootsies.

Sitting 10mm higher off the ground than its predecessor, the new Forester has better ground clearance yet the roof line sits lower. It also has better entry and departure angles than before for gentle off-road work, while the longer wheelbase helps improve cabin and boot space.

There's masses of room in the front and rear seats and cargo capacity is boosted by 63-litres to 450-litres with the rear seats still in use. Drop the 60:40 splits and fold the rear bench and there's a very useful 660-litres of load space. Add in the Forester's ability to tow up to 2,000kg with a braked trailer and there's no doubt this third generation model is every bit as handy as its ancestors were.

What you get for your Money

Starting money for the Forester is £17,995 for the 2.0 X model, which compares favourably with the likes of the Nissan X-Trail and Toyota RAV4. The Subaru looks even more attractive with standard climate control, CD stereo, cruise control, heated front seats and six airbags. It also has self-levelling rear suspension as standard, which helps make the Forester a very able tow car. As with previous Forester generations, a low ratio transfer 'box is standard too, which gives the Forester added traction in the sticky stuff. On terra firma, standard electronic stability control is there to save the day. It's a shame the 2.0 X does without alloy wheels as part of its specification, though these are an optional extra. A four-speed automatic gearbox is a £1000 option that's best avoided.

To move up to the 2.0 XS trim requires a further £3,900, which is a hefty premium for leather seats, alloy wheels, six disc CD autochanger, electrically adjusted driver's seat and sunroof. The XS also has keyless entry and HID headlights.

For the time being, all Forester have a 148bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine, which comes attached to a five-speed manual gearbox as standard. While this engine will continue to appeal to the Forester faithful, Subaru's new Boxer Diesel is due to be offered under the Forester's bonnet from September and is sure to be the more desirable choice.

Driving it

Subaru has come up with a good balance of ride and handling for the new Forester. Where its predecessors suffered a little too much body lean for comfort, the new model contains such tendencies to deliver handling that puts the Subaru towards the front of its class. This is helped by the new Forester using the latest Impreza as its base, which brings a multi-link rear suspension design to the party. The front end is also just as determined to hang on through corners, though the steering does not have nearly as much sensation as a Land Rover Freelander's.

Ride comfort in the Forester is another strength and it makes short work of lumpy road surfaces to leave its occupants unruffled. There is some wind noise from the large door mirrors at higher motorway speeds, but otherwise refinement is very good inside the Forester.

However, the engine can make itself known when it's revved hard, which is something you find yourself doing more than you might expect. With 148bhp and 145lb.ft of torque to power a 1,465kg car, the Forester's performance is only adequate. The manual gets from 0-60mph in 10.6 seconds, which is fine, but the auto takes 12.3 seconds and feels much more sluggish. The 2.0-litre engine is happy to rev hard, but in the four-speed auto it's fighting a losing battle, so stick with the manual 'box.

Oddly, there's no difference in the claimed fuel consumption figures for the manual and auto, both returning 33.6mpg, and the manual delivers carbon dioxide emissions that are only 1g/km better than the auto's 199g/km. That's a big improvement over the previous Forester's figures, but the forthcoming diesel will significantly improve on these numbers, so both private and business customers may be tempted to wait.

Worth Noting

Subaru has worked hard on the Forester's cabin to create more space and its efforts have not been in vain. The driver is treated to plenty of room and the tilt and angle adjustable steering wheel helps achieve the ideal driving position for all shapes and sizes of driver. The dash is a much tidier affair than previous Foresters' and follows the sweeping style of the latest Impreza. All-round vision is generally very good, though the thick rear pillars can hinder over-the-shoulder vision when changing lanes on the motorway.

The quality of materials used throughout the Forester's cabin is excellent, but it would look even better if Subaru had used some more modern looking textures and soft-touch finishes to underline the interior's excellent construction.

Summary

The new Subaru Forester has a broader appeal than its predecessors without alienating the hardcore Forester buyers who have made this model something of a cult celebrity. It retains more off-road ability than most rivals, handles well and is very comfortable, but the 2.0-litre petrol engine has its work cut out to keep the Forester moving at a reasonable pace. While keen Forester-ophiles will be more than satisfied with this third iteration of Subaru's mid-size SUV, the rest of us will be much better served when the Forester is fitted with a turbodiesel engine from September.