America’s crossover market has exploded into life in recent years, gaining new and enthusiastic recruits almost by the hour. But for those paying attention, one of the earliest exponents on the U.S. crossover block came from Japan more than a decade ago. Drumroll, please, for the Subaru Forester.

Subaru has done it differently all along with the Forester, which historically boasted those boxy wagon looks, compact size, car-like driving style, and of course the company’s favored flat engine and full-time all-wheel drive running smoothly underneath. The Forester has always been one of a kind, a pioneer in this business.

(Click through to read more about the 2009 Subaru Forester Test Drive.)


So now, after two successful generations since 1997, we come to round three: the 2009 Forester, which made its world debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit and is already on the road in Japan. The all-new Forester should be available in the U.S. soon.

What is the new version like? Before we go any further, we should state that the Foresters featured here are Japanese domestic market (JDM) models and that America’s Forester will be the same, only different. That is to say, different engines and subtle chassis tweaks, but in the big picture and in terms of where the new Subaru wants to go the story will remain the same.

On both sides of the Pacific the Forester is now very much grown up, throwing off those quirky tall-van looks and gaining several inches in size. For the faithful, the makeover may smack of betrayal, but Subaru’s calculation seems to be that its bigger body and new mainstream looks will bring more nontraditional buyers into the fold, thus driving up sales.

Which, when you think about it, is pretty much the same logic underpinning the new Impreza, and that’s no coincidence. Behind the scenes in Japan, Subaru began planning the new Impreza and Forester around the same time, and the models share basically the same platform, four-cylinder powertrains, and dashboards.

So with all of this in mind, we headed to Lake Kawaguchiko, an attractive resort area about a ninety-minute drive out of Tokyo, where Subaru presented the new Forester to the Japanese press. Lying at the foot of majestic, snow-clad Mount Fuji and blessed with some outstanding driver’s roads, the Kawaguchiko area has lots to recommend it and is a favorite with the local press corps.
But how would the new Forester fare away from the glitz, the hype, and the show lights—and how would it perform on real, live bitumen? Call it the 64-million-yen question.

Let’s start with the design. Visually, the new-shape Forester is, well, nonthreatening and free of the kind of controversy and chat room angst that has dogged both the Impreza and the Tribeca of late. With its conventional wide grille, broad fenders, flat hood, smooth sides, and orthodox-looking tail, the 2009 Forester is the epitome of the modern crossover and should slide seamlessly onto mainstreet USA.

The counterargument, of course, is that the Forester has suddenly lost much of its individuality. Squint a bit, and you can see traces of Mitsubishi Outlander, Ford Escape, and Toyota Highlander flowing through that newly profiled shape. But for those who always considered the old Forester a bit too small and left-field, this new, more conventional-looking model with a vastly bigger interior and wider opening doors may work a lot better.

In the metal, there is no denying that much of the visual aggression has been toned down in the 2.0 XT. The hood hump is flatter, not something you consciously have to peer over. Like the Impreza, door windows are now framed, and when you open the door you are greeted by a sense of space, versatility, and airiness previous Foresters could only dream of.

The new Forester gets a 3.6-inch-longer wheelbase (now 103 inches) and a near 2.0-inch increase in width. Never short on headroom, the vehicle now boasts an additional four-plus inches in that department as well.

Much of the increased room comes in the back seat, an area of complaint in previous Foresters. Meantime, with a more compact WRX STI-type double-wishbone suspension replacing the former struts in back, the Forester cargo area also becomes wider and deeper.

In the front, the vehicle’s elevated driver’s seat is excellent—both easy to adjust and comfortable. The “wave