2021 Subaru Forester Long-Term Review, Part 1: The Origin Story
2021 Subaru Forester Long-Term Review, Part 1: The Origin StoryOver the next few weeks, we’re going to share with you our impressions of the virtues – and likely a few vices - of the 2021 Subaru Forester as part of our long-term review of the SUV. Today, some back-story...
See also: 2021 Subaru Forester Long-Term Review, Part 2: Of Buttons and Murmurs
First things first: The bronze-coloured 2021 Forester I was given to test-drive for the next several weeks came with the Touring package and retails for $36,195 before taxes, but including $1,800 in transport and prep fees.
Second things second : Before getting in and driving the vehicle, I’m taking a few minutes of your time to define Subaru’s place on the global automotive chess board, and Forester’s role in the automaker’s lineup.
Once upon a time…
During the Second World War, the Makajima group was busy manufacturing fighter planes, in addition to some other lucrative machinery. In 1945, the company took a new identity, Fuji Sangyo, and made a bunch of new stuff, namely scooters and buses, until the occupying Allied administration compelled it to break itself up into 12 distinct corporate entities. In 1953, five of those splintered groups managed to rejoin together, and thus was born Fuji Heavy Industries.
