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Mike Sinclair27 Oct 2015
REVIEW

Subaru Forester tS 2015 Review

STI makeover and chassis parts give Subaru Forester new talents

Subaru Forester tS

First Drive,
Izu, Japan

Subaru’s go-fast STI division usually works its magic on rally cars and WRXs but this time it’s waved a wand over Forester XT to deliver improved braking, handling and road-holding. Boy-racers will lament the Forester tS arrives sans a power increase and without a manual option and added comforts, and better finishes inside only go some of the way to justify an expected $10K premium over the XT. But every one of the 300 production run will find a home – definitely one for the fans.

Nearly $60,000 is a big ask for a warmed over Subaru Forester. But that’s what we believe Subaru Australia will be asking for its new limited edition Forester tS when it goes on sale in March 2016. And they’ll sell every one.

The current range-topping Forester XT Premium has a price-tag of $47,990. The new STI built Forester tS will be around $57,000 on current estimates and exchange rates. Just 300 will come Down Under.

The key to its likely success and desirability are those three letters, STI. Subaru Tecnica International has iconic status with Subaru fans, and it’s mostly justified. The go-fast arm of the brand, in terms of engineering resources and budget, is a relatively small player in the big, bad world of performance, but they do a lot with a little.

The tS is a case in point. Although our First Drive was very limited in scope – just a few laps of the tight, twisting and undulating 5km Izu Cycle Sports Centre circuit (yes, that’s not a misprint) – it’s very clear that the tS is a very different and more polished drive than its XT donor model.

Although identical in power output to the 177kW/350Nm turbocharged petrol XT, Subaru claims the tS features no fewer than 50 chassis and specification changes. These included almost 30 carried out by STI technicians after the car leaves Subaru’s Gunma production line.

The majority are focused on the tS chassis and they gift this SUV a significant upgrade in handling prowess. But it’s not only ‘hard’ parts, STI has sought to also refine the Forester in its evolution to tS specification.

STI now defines its brand values as “Tough, speedy and classy” and it’s this latter aspect of the STI brand we haven’t seen before.

Thus there’s been an ‘explosion’ of leather and alcantara in the cabin and STI has specified production-line changes such as additional sound deadening. Many small detailed parts like HVAC controls and window switches have also been upgraded. Although the cabin is still very clearly Subaru, it’s a much nicer place to be.

Of course the tough, speedy components are also looked after. Underneath, the tS gets racecar-style inverted front struts, unique damper and spring combinations, as well as strut tower, front and rear subframe braces, plus other chassis-strengthening parts sourced from the company’s Nurburgring 24 WRX STI development program.

Multi-spoke 19-inch Enkei wheels and WRX STI-sourced Brembo brakes are also standard.

Even the Subaru’s Lineartronic CVT automatic transmission comes in for attention – the tS is the first production model to feature a unique STI algorithm for its shift strategy.

It’s all of these changes that define the Forester tS as one of three bespoke models STI currently has on its books rather than a kit per se. The BRZ tS was the most recent model to share the badge, while the latest S207 high-performance WRX STI derived model debuts at this week’s Tokyo Motor Show. You can’t build a tS from the parts catalogue, the company claims.

And this is, at least in part, appreciated when behind the wheel. Swap from the standard Forester XT into the tS as we did and within a few turns of the wheel (steering or road) the difference is immediately apparent.

STI’s claims about boosting the dynamic abilities of the tS ring true. There’s significantly less body roll and at the same time better steering precision, better stability and more grip. Much more. Sure some credit must go to the 19-inch Bridgestone Turanza tyres, but the chassis makeover is much more than a stickier, larger set of hoops.

The tS has a much more secure, almost ‘chuckable’ feel to it. The changes also go a long way to ridding the tS of the sort of rack-rattle and chassis deflection that hampered the WRX STI during this year’s Australia’s Best Drivers Car test.

In fact, the Forester tS could be flung into corners with more confidence than the standard Levorg wagon we test drove at the same track – and it was no slouch.

It will be interesting to see how this prowess transfers to Aussie roads. There were enough bumps of the Izu layout to suggest the car won’t be too hard for our conditions.

Transplanted direct from the WRX STI, the Brembo brakes fitted to the tS are also impressive. The downhill section of the 5km test loop tested the standard brake set-up on both the XT and Levorgs we drove but there were no such worries on the tS.

About the only thing not convincing about the tS is actually the drivetrain. Unchanged under the bonnet from the XT, the tS could easily cope with some extra Nms. And the rest of the package is good enough to demand a crisper, smarter gearbox.

Subaru’s Lineartronic CVT is well suited to the tS’s turbo-diesel counterpart’s more sedentary lifestyles, but this car would be 10-15 per cent better with a crisp-shifting dual-clutch. Despite STI’s claims of new software, there’s still work to do in this department.

The rest of the detail of the tS will have to wait until closer to its arrival Down Under. Subaru Australia is still to finalise specification and only very limited technical/specification details were offered during our Japanese domestic-model (very) quick spin.

We do know, however, that just three colours will be offered: black, pearl white and Subaru’s trademark WR Blue. As we said, one for the fans.

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