Subaru · Forester

Subaru Forester 4th generation (SJ)

Years
2012–2018
Chassis
SJ
Drivetrain
4WD
Subaru Forester 4th generation (SJ)

Image: OSX / Public domain

Story

It newly gained "X-MODE", which gives integrated control of the engine, transmission, AWD and VDC at the push of a button.

Stories

01

The meeting went silent

After development of the fourth generation began, Dai raised the fuel economy target several times. Each time he announced a new target, the meeting went silent. Reconciling conflicting performance goals like strong driving and fuel economy can't be solved with a single trick. By piling up small improvements, which he called "yose-yose," they did everything they could think of, from tire rolling resistance to aerodynamics and weight reduction, and achieved fuel economy equal to front-wheel-drive cars in the same class despite being all-wheel drive.
Takuji Dai

Chassis

Length 4,595 mmWB 2,640 mm1,715 mmHeightWidth 1,795 mm
Curb weight
1,440-1,590kg

Production plants

US import eligibility

Earliest cars
Eligible from November 203725 years after sales began in November 2012
Last cars
Eligible during 204325 years after sales ended in 2018 (month not recorded)

Eligibility depends on each car's month of manufacture on its build plate, not on the sale dates shown here (NHTSA).

Japanese cars by US import year →

Engineers

Takuji Dai

Takuji Dai

Project general manager (PGM) who brought the fourth-generation Forester together.