Subaru Forester driven

Subarural. Now there's an ad tagline we could poke a bit of fun at. But doesn't it just sum up the Subaru Forester perfectly? This has never been an SUV for an urban clientele, and so Subaru dismisses the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 as potential rivals. The Nissan X-Trail and the Land Rover Freelander, though? Now you're talking.

But, up until now, the Forester occupied a curious hinterland, not quite big enough to be a full family SUV, still carrying the connotations of wet sheepdog, manure and bleak hills. This one, 15mm wider, 35mm longer and a fraction taller, changes things. Or it might do if it looked better.