The XT nameplate holds a special place in Subaru history, but not even the Japanese automaker had the audacity to call the Forester Sport like its indirect predecessor. For starters, this version comes exclusively with a continuously variable transmission instead of a six-speed manual like in the good ol’ days.
Secondly, let’s talk about the engine. The XT used to pump out 250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet (350 Nm) of torque, pretty serious figures for a 2.0-liter boxer by all accounts. The Sport, meanwhile, adopts the 1.8-liter boxer from the all-new Levorg wagon for the Japanese domestic market. In this application, Subaru couldn’t do better than 175 horsepower and 221 pound-feet (300 Nm).
Currently exclusive to Japanese customers, the Forester Sport has a retail price of 3,289,000 yen or $31,415 at current exchange rates. It is joined by one other engine option for the remainder of the lineup, namely the e-Boxer that combines an electric motor with a free-breathing powerplant. This fellow doesn’t appeal to performance-oriented buyers either, and Subaru can’t do anything about it.
You see, emissions regulations take priority over fun cars. The Japanese automaker is already in trouble in the European Union where Subaru had to increase the starting price of the BRZ by 15 percent. Going forward, only the WRX and WRX STI will serve as high-performance applications while the new BRZ combines a great-handling chassis with an aspirated mill that displaces 2.4 liters.
"A high-quality model with a good sense of acceleration and advanced equipment," the Forester Sport may not arrive in the United States given the engine’s output. Lest we forget, the 2.5-liter boxer sold stateside cranks out 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque while returning 29 mpg combined (8.1 l/100 km).
Speaking of fuel economy, the new Forester Sport is rated at 16.5 liters per kilometer in Japan according to the JC08 standard. In other words, 6 liters per 100 kilometers or 38.8 miles to the gallon.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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