The Subaru Forester is the definition of unpretentious automotive design

Subaru used to be a byword for stoic, no-nonsense mobility. Especially in North America, where its most popular models were notably smaller than the local average. Decades of experience with the US market – where Subarus were first imported in 1968 – led to the opening of the Subaru of Indiana Automotive plant in Lafayette, Indiana, in October 1989. Tariff-dodging is therefore not an issue just yet, but perhaps more importantly, there’s a distinct absence of desire in the company’s current line-up.

It feels a little rich to accuse Subaru of having lost its mojo somewhere along the line, when that absence of conventional desirability is the one characteristic that cemented the company’s leftfield image. Perhaps it was the rather ill-starred partnership with Toyota, one that resulted in the sprightly co-developed Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ sports cars, as well as the relatively lacklustre Toyota bz4X and its near equivalent, the Subaru Solterra, two debut EVs from two companies that could have done better.

With an all-new EV in the offing, the new Trailseeker, as well as a substantially revised and upgraded Solterra, how does the traditional meat and potatoes of Subaru’s line-up compare to the current status quo? This is the Forester e-Boxer, a mild hybrid 4x4 that sits in the burgeoning space between traditional high-riding SUV and estate car, a crossover, in other words.

Subaru’s unpretentious approach extends to its rather forgettable design language. You’d be hard pressed to find a common stylistic theme running through the brand’s line-up and the Forester is no different. Introduced in 1997, the Forester has upscaled considerably over six rather unremarkable generations. Someone forgot to tell the wheels, however, which swim in the large wheel arches. There’s also substantial front and rear overhang, all of which adds up to a rather ungainly and awkward stance.

In the current line-up of just four cars, the Forester sits beneath the large Solterra and above the compact Crosstrek (originally the Subaru XV) and the most ‘Subaru-like’ of its models, the Outback. In markets like the USA, these two smaller models are terrier-like in comparison to the snarling mastiff or XL Bully of the 'full size' SUV or longbed pickup truck, hence their enduring, quasi-alternative appeal.

The Forester has none of this compact kudos, but it can certainly hold its own with a full quota of off-road technologies based around Subaru’s ‘Symmetrical’ All-Wheel Drive system. The powertrain is not especially punchy but completely adequate and the steering is light and undemanding. The days when Subaru was best-known as a performance brand with a strong showing in the global rally scene have long gone.

The interior is spacious and light, thanks to the body’s upright stance and Subaru’s retention of a tall greenhouse, unlike the sleeker profile of the Solterra. The usual caveats about reliance on touchscreen controls apply here, perhaps more so for a car that’s so unabashed about low-key functionality. Many controls have admittedly migrated to the steering wheel, but it’s still no substitute physical dials and switches.

It feels a bit harsh to bestow the Forester with the ‘dull but competent’ label, especially when the auto market is awash with dull but competent cars. But there’s a certain classless quality to the middle of the road and kudos is due to Subaru for not trying to push itself upmarket like so many other brands. The upcoming 2026 Trailseeker could be the EV that uproots the Forester’s long reign as an unpretentious choice. Until then, it’ll keep on trucking with a minimum of fuss.

Subaru Forester e-Boxer, from £39,995, Subaru.co.uk