Subaru Forester combines practical family space with extensive safety assistance

The tall, upright body gives the Forester a purposeful SUV stance without looking unnecessarily bulky. Its clean, squared-off profile also matches the practical character of a five-seat family vehicle.

The cabin takes a straightforward, user-friendly approach. Both front occupants get powered seat adjustment, while the steering wheel adjusts for reach and height. An 8-inch display with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth handles everyday connectivity, and dual-zone automatic air-conditioning with rear vents is well suited to Malaysia's warm weather.

The naturally aspirated 2.0-litre engine produces 156 PS and 196 Nm, paired with a CVT. A 10.3-second 0–100 km/h time places the emphasis on predictable everyday progress rather than rapid acceleration, making this powertrain more aligned with commuting and family use than outright performance.

The five-seat layout is backed by a useful 505-litre luggage compartment. Folding the rear seats expands capacity to 1,775 litres, giving families plenty of flexibility for grocery runs, suitcases or larger recreational items.

Safety assistance is a major strength. Full-speed adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping and lane-centring assistance support longer journeys, while forward-collision warning and autonomous emergency braking add another layer of protection. A 360-degree camera and front and rear parking sensors also make tight parking spaces easier to manage.

Official combined petrol consumption is rated at 7.8 litres per 100 km. Together with the 63-litre fuel tank, that works out to a theoretical driving range of about 808 km under the same combined-cycle conditions, which should reduce the frequency of fuel stops on longer trips.