With the current offer and fast delivery, the Subaru Forester cannot be ignored.
Today, we see many all Japanese automotive brands bringing to market well built, well engineered and beautifully put together vehicles that stand equal with premium brands and they continue to have a better pricing strategy (this means the Japanese are priced lower and yet offer neck to neck features, safety equipment, cabin features and also build quality).
Then we get a global automotive brand from China coming into Malaysia with a localized partnership to offer Malaysians a quality product at a Malaysian selling price point.
This is where the Proton X70 has taken a huge chuck of the mid range SUV market and forced many established Japanese and Korean auto brands to squeeze their profits to keep alive. Yes, it has been tough for some of these brands and this is why as Christmas comes, a new SUV for the stocking could be the answer.
In February 2021 Subaru launched in Malaysia an all new Forester in 3 variants. Its top variant comes with class leading safety features better known as EyeSight.
Meanwhile, the Proton X70 is coming to the end of its lifecycle and its price point is keeping customers coming into showrooms and waiting patiently for 5-6 months for delivery.
So, why not look at a Japanese rival with immediate delivery. This is why Subaru in Malaysia is offering this great discount for all three variants of their popular Forester and delivery will be done in 7 days.
Driving the Subaru Forester
The cabin of the Forester is a nice place to be in with plenty of space in front and there is ample room in the rear for three adults. From ignition it is quiet and the 156bhp Boxer engine works without a fuss as you accelerate hard. The steering feel is very good and the gearbox works well to provide a decent driving experience. Subaru’s have always provided a ‘conti’ like drive feel and it continues here. Remove all the Subaru badges and mask this Forester and the average driver will tell you they are in a German made vehicle after 15 minutes of driving it.
Subaru Forester 2.0i-S EyeSight GT Edition Specifications
Engine: FB20 16-Valve horizontally-opposed 4-cylinder petrol
Capacity: 1995cc
Max power: 156hp @ 6000rpm
Max torque: 196Nm @ 4000rpm
Transmission: Lineartronic CVT
Top Speed: 192km/h
0-100km/h:11.8secs
Selling Price Before Discount: RM177,788. Price NOW From: RM139,788.
Driving The Proton X70
From ignition, this X70 is refined and quite impressive for what you pay. It is well insulated allowing for little road noise to come in and equipped with a long list of equipment. Around our badly maintained Petaling Jaya roads this X70 still rides so well. The suspension set up is a good deal more sophisticated than the rather rudimentary configurations found on some of its rivals and offers car-like levels of comfort. The X70 uses dampers with the ‘right’ damping to address the problem of excessive body-roll in corners with some success while an accurate power-steering system delivers sharp steering responses for the driver.
Proton X70 1.8TGDI Specifications
Engine: Petrol Turbocharged Direct Injection
Capacity: 1799cc
Power: 184bhp @ 5500rpm
Torque: 285Nm @ 1700-4400rpm
Transmission: 6-speed with manual mode
0-100km/h: TBA
Top speed: 180km/h as tested
Selling Price: RM123,800.00
So, with the Subaru Forester selling from just RM139,788, it is just RM16,000 more than the Proton X70. With the Subaru Forester you get All-Wheel Drive and that legendary Boxer engine delivery. Plus, Subaru go anywhere possibility and high quality engineering and best in class safety that they are famous for.
To sweeten the deal, your new Subaru will be delivered in just 7 days and you can choose your preferred colour.
