Exterior styling can be misleading, as Clark Kent can tell you.
The Subaru Forester may look like just another run-of-the-mill station wagon for sedately ferrying the family and the poodles but beneath that rather meek and domesticated façade there's a car with an "S" on its chest and wearing its underpants on the outside.
We've never met a Subaru we don't like and the all-wheel drive Forester 2.5 XT turbo, flagship of the newly revamped range, hasn't changed our minds.
It combines space and luxury, multi-terrain ability, exciting power and real driver appeal.
The same sporting passion that goes into the fast and furious Impreza WRX is evident in this more family-orientated Subaru.
The Forester range has had a facelift and suspension enhancement and it's also been pumping iron in the gym.
The 2.5 XT's power output has been boosted from 155kW to 169kW. Torque is unchanged at 320Nm but its delivery characteristics are more user-friendly, with hardly any turbo lag.
Performance is very lively indeed; even up in Gauteng the Forester 2.5 turbo will reach 100km/h in 7.7sec, quick enough to keep pace with performers such as the Golf GTi and BMW 330i.
It's idle is quite lumpy but the power delivery is smooth and strong midrange grunt keeps the Forester zipping past slower traffic with minimum exertion
Many motor companies massage the truth by claiming their off-roaders have car-like handling but the all-wheel drive Forester really does.
Subaru calls this an SUV but it's more a station wagon with raised ride height, similar to Audi's Allroad quattro and the Volvo XC70.
Its ground clearance is high enough to tackle the obligatory pavements but the Forester's centre of gravity is kept low by the boxer engine's flat cylinder arrangement, which helps generate the is handling capability for which Subarus are famous, as does the permanent all-wheel drive system.
The Forester handles very well as all-terrain vehicles go, without the soggy feel of most SUVs. The all-wheel drive system splits engine power equally between the front and rear wheels with a limited-slip viscous slip rear differential.
It feels impressively poised through corners, with a minimum of body roll; the newly tweaked suspension reduces pitching and nose-dive under hard braking. The dual-purpose tyres lose grip, however, when pushed hard on tar and make the car understeer quite badly.
Nevertheless the ride quality is superb and the Forester canters comfortably over scarred road surfaces.
It's not a serious off-roader by any means; its dirt digging ability is limited by the lack of a low range gear in the five-speed manual model tested here - although the automatic version has one.
However the all-wheel traction and high ground clearance allow it to tackle rough dirt roads that might prompt a U-turn in a normal car.
Disappointing brakes
The brakes feel good in normal-to-hard operation but the car is a bit disappointing in an emergency stop, taking 3.5sec from 100km/h; most cars average around three seconds.
The hill-holder device is cool; when pulling away on a hill, pressing the clutch automatically engages the brake and you can drive off without using the handbrake or riding the clutch. It's a great car in which to do your driving test.
Subaru has given the conservative Forester a nip and tuck with new headlights, grille and various other tweaks, but it's like rolling up the sleeves of a grey business suit.
The car still doesn't look sporty and "cool" SUVs such as the BMW X5 will probably tease it in the car park.
The Forester does, however, have a macho-looking air scoop on the bonnet that adds a bit of a mean streak - and feeds air to the turbo intercooler.
Business class ambience
Some detail changes have been made to the interior; it's not in the German quality league but much better than the low-rent cabins of earlier Subarus; the dimpled soft-touch facia and leather-covered seats create a business class ambience.
The switchgear falls easily to hand and is intelligently placed - for example the radio's volume knob, which is located on the driver's side of the centre console. However, the audio system's digital display is difficult to read when the sun shines on the fascia.
The family-sized cabin is spacious enough for four or five adults and the boot will swallow a heap of holiday luggage. There's plenty off oddment space and enough cupholders for a tea party.
The luggage area under which the Forester's full size spare is stored features bag hooks and a pair of bar hangers, sturdy steel rails running along the sides of the luggage compartment so that commercially available karabiners and spring clips can be attached to restrain heavy objects.
SUMMARY
The Forester reinforces our fondness for this Japanese niche brand that really knows how to build driver's cars. At R335 000, it's a terrific all-rounder, a spacious family car with lively power and the ability to go off the beaten track occasionally - without the hippo-like handling that characterises too many SUVs.
Its only shortfall is in the glamour department - the latest facelift hasn't really enhanced its looks. - Star Motoring