The Subaru Forester has been upgraded for 2016 to ensure the model maintains its status as one of the most capable and versatile SUVs in its class. The 2016 model-year upgrades to the Subaru Forester – the Japanese manufacturer’s bestselling model in the UK – result in improved safety, convenience, comfort and refinement.

The upgraded Subaru Forester will go on sale across the brand’s UK dealer network this month. Pricing remains unchanged for all trim levels in the updated Forester line-up, with the range starting from £25,495 (on-the-road) for the 2.0i XE model and £26,995 for best-selling 2.0D XC models.

Every Forester is equipped with two core Subaru technologies: Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive, affording surefootedness in all conditions; and the latest-generation four-cylinder ‘Boxer’ engines, contributing to the low centre of gravity beneficial to balance, road holding and handling.

The 2016 Subaru Forester has had an exterior and interior refresh. At the front of the car, the Forester’s distinctive hexagonal grille has been updated with a new ‘wing’ motif grille mesh, while the front bumper has been reshaped and now features new L-shaped chrome trim adding greater visual volume to the lower part of the Forester’s ‘face’. The change is designed to emphasise the car’s relatively low centre of gravity, wide stance and innate stability.

The wraparound headlamps – retaining Subaru’s signature ‘hawk-eye’ shape – feature a new black base paint finish for a sharper appearance. The 2016 model is also fitted with new LED combination lamps at the rear.

Inside the cabin, new materials and technologies have been introduced to further modernise the interior and introduce a higher-quality look and feel, while still retaining the functionality for which the Forester is renowned.

The interior is finished with a higher proportion of soft-touch materials, new piano black and metallic trim, higher-resolution TFT displays and new cloth and leather upholstery options – including a new brown leather option. Following the adoption of Subaru’s new 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment and navigation system in 2015, the changes to the 2016 Subaru Forester are designed to further improve the quality look and feel of the cabin.

Model line-up and pricing

There are a total of nine models in the 2016 Forester range, starting at £25,495 for the 2.0i XE and £26,995 for 2.0D XC models, and rising to £30,995 for high-powered 2.0 DIT XT versions of the car.

The upgraded Subaru Forester comes with the brand’s comprehensive five year, 100,000 mile warranty.

To find out more about the upgraded 2016 Subaru Forester, visit www.subaru.co.uk.

Spring has officially arrived and like us, our cars need to shake off the winter cold to be fit for the summer ahead. If you haven’t done so already, get your car ready for spring with our latest tips from the IAM’s standards and compliance manager, Richard Gladman.

• If you haven’t given your car a full spring clean yet now is a good time to wash off all the grime and road salt. Use a pressure washer to clean the underside, but take care with delicate areas and don’t spray directly onto oil seals or rubber areas. Better still, let a professional clean it.
• Give your windows a good clean on the inside too – dirty windows are more prone to misting up. Simply use washing up liquid in water to get them squeaky clean.
• If you’ve been using winter tyres replace them with summer tyres. Check the tyres thoroughly for damage and check the pressures before setting off.
• Ensure your wiper blades are in full working order after a winter of hard use and test all of your lights.
• Spring may well bring on hay fever so use the air conditioning and re-circulation settings on your ventilation system to help reduce the effects.

Richard said: “It’s easy to overlook when the temperatures aren’t in the high twenties, but make sure you keep a pair of sunglasses with you too – the sun tends to be very low at this time of year and these will come in handy when dealing with glare in the early morning and evening.

“In this light dirt and grime on the windscreen and mirrors can be even more distracting– keep them clean throughout.”

The new 252 PS Audi A4 allroad quattro 2.0 TFSI S tronic will be the first Audi to adopt the latest quattro ultra drivetrain. This advanced system predicts when front or all-wheel drive is most suitable, trimming CO2 and increasing overall MPG.

RHD versions of the first Audi to incorporate the brand’s latest advancement in all-wheel drive will soon be available in the UK.

The newly developed, permanently available quattro system with ultra technology will soon become available to order, initially in conjunction with the 252PS version of the 2.0-litre TFSI engine powering the latest A4 allroad. Three other TDI engine variants in the A4 allroad range will also open for order at the end of April, with first deliveries scheduled to begin in June.

Designed for Audi models with longitudinally installed engines, the new technology delivers tangible benefits in terms of both fuel efficiency and CO2 output during every journey. Fundamentally, the system deactivates all-wheel drive when it is not needed, but ensures that it is also permanently and instantaneously available, significantly reducing the potential fuel consumption difference between the two drive configurations.

By using a highly intelligent networked sensor system that communicates with a multi-plate clutch and integrated decoupler on the rear axle, the A4 allroad can switch between front- or all-wheel drive in a split-second depending on the driving conditions.