New Car: 2013 Subaru Forester

Once a Motor Trend Sport/Utility of the Year winner, the Subaru Forester compact crossover is getting a much-needed update for the 2014 model year and we’ve got the first official photos. Debuting at the Los Angeles auto show late in November, the 2014 Subaru Forester shows the 2013 Impreza has influenced its design, but it’s the under-the-surface changes buyers will appreciate most.

The four-speed automatic transmission in the outgoing Forester is finally gone, replaced by a CVT. A new six-speed manual transmission is available — one of the few compact crossovers that still offer one — on the naturally aspirated 2014 Forester. Power is unchanged on the volume model that’s powered by a 170-hp 2.5-liter I-4 with 174 lb-ft of torque. Thanks in part to direct-injection technology, the Forester Turbo’s 2.0-liter I-4 now makes 250 hp (up from 224 hp) and 258 lb-ft of torque (up from 226 lb-ft). The 2014 Subaru Forester Turbo is only offered with a CVT, which has six- and eight-speed manual modes and a hill descent control system. The 2013 Forester is EPA-rated at 21/27 mpg city/highway (with both transmissions) and 19/24 mpg with the turbo I-4.

 The tens of 2014 Subaru Forester drivers who take their crossovers offroad may be pleased to know it has 8.7 inches of ground clearance, just under the 8.9 inches on certain 2013 Foresters. Perhaps more importantly, the 2014 Forester is said to have a roomier interior, additional cargo room, and more rear-seat legroom. Overall, the new Forester is 1.4 inches longer (with a wheelbase stretched by 0.9 inches), 0.6 inches wider, and 1.3 inches taller.

As before, all-wheel drive will be standard equipment and, along with available features including a navigation system, a rear-view camera, and a premium sound system, Subaru will offer “in-demand infotainment features.” Since the refreshed 2013 Subaru Legacy and Outback were first to make available the automaker’s EyeSight safety package — collision mitigation, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control — we’d be surprised if, at the very least, the 2014 Forester Turbo model doesn’t offer the EyeSight package as optional equipment.

Thanks to: Motor Trend