- A high-performance edition of the Forester, powered by a WRX engine, is being offered to Subaru customers, but only in Australia and China.
- The Forester S-Edition features a turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-4 that develops 259 horsepower and 256 pound-feet of torque.
- The powertrain package also comes with a five-speed STI automatic transmission with paddle shifters.
SYDNEY, Australia — It's official: The high-performance Subaru Forester S-Edition that was introduced in thinly veiled "concept" form at last fall's Sydney auto show has been formally launched in Australia. Also official: It won't be coming to the U.S. any time soon, Subaru of America tells Inside Line, although the Chinese market can expect to see a version later this year.
What makes the Forester S-Edition so special is the addition of the turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-4 engine from the WRX. The engine in this particular incarnation is mated to an STI five-speed automatic with paddle shifters, and delivers 259 horsepower and 256 pound-feet of torque.
Additional features include a black grille, silver roof rails, STI 17-inch alloy rims, optional WR Blue paint and leather seats with blue stitching and S-Edition embroidery.
The Forester S-Edition retails in Australia for $51,500, which is about $3,500 more than the Forester XT.
Inside Line says: Just this once? — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
Add A Comment »
hotrodw says:
03:01 PM, 02/03/2011
It's a mirror -- Fender mirror to be specific. Still common in Japan.
calspecial68 says:
02:13 PM, 02/03/2011
Am I the only one who sees that old-school side-mirror mounted on the driver-side fender. At least that's what it looks like. If it's not, please enlighten me.
veryhrm says:
11:53 PM, 02/02/2011
it's nice, i guess. i'd be more interested in a stick shift... and a TDI ... though neither for anywhere near US$ 51K
( though sadly the Top Gear UK guys (at least Jeremy Clarkson) say pretty bad things about the Subaru diesel engine. oh well maybe VW will stick TDI + manual + AWD into one of their wagons sometime.)
veryhrm says:
11:53 PM, 02/02/2011
it's nice, i guess. i'd be more interested in a stick shift... and a TDI ... though neither for anywhere near US$ 51K
( though sadly the Top Gear UK guys (at least Jeremy Clarkson) say pretty bad things about the Subaru diesel engine. oh well maybe VW will stick TDI + manual + AWD into one of their wagons sometime.)
s197gt says:
03:39 PM, 02/02/2011
"Australian cars come under heavy import tariffs, so it's no surprise the Subie costs so much there."
that is a more sensible explanation.
v8vader says:
03:34 PM, 02/02/2011
aw come on
s197gt says:
03:32 PM, 02/02/2011
"Jesus Christ, I've said it before and I'll say it again. You can't convert Aussie dollars to US dollars just like that. "
so if i had $51k aussie dollars and i took it to the bank, how much U.S. dollars would I get?
426maxwedge says:
01:36 PM, 02/02/2011
@hotrodw
If you feel the need to moderate "bigoted rants" why not head over to the fresh GT-R test?
As for my EXPERIENCE and OBSERVATIONS with Subaru drivers, I stand by my comments.
bankerdanny says:
01:01 PM, 02/02/2011
This powertrain should have been available in the previous version of the Forester. The power would be adequate today, but the 5-speed auto would be one gear short of most of it's competetors.
That said, Suburu sells all the Foresters they can build and my guess is that the development costs for the existing powertrain are long paid for and the negligible increase in sales might actually produce a lower profit per unit.
When Forester sales start to drop THEN you'll see a better base and turbo drivetrain.
dgmail says:
12:02 PM, 02/02/2011
4 speed automatics? What century is this.
Now I know why I have never considered a Subaru, other than not wanting to be seen in something so ugly it makes a Honda/Acura look good.