SUBARU is perhaps best known for its firecracker, all-wheel drive Impreza, a car which made its name in rallies throughout the world.

Less well known, but equally impressive in its own way is the Forester, a five-door, five-seater SUV off-roader with a big reputation for tackling the rough stuff, but surprisingly able on the road thanks to the legendary Boxer engine and clever suspension set up.

This two litre, 240bhp petrol unit delivers performance in spades, with hot-hatch acceleration, yet delivering a claimed 33-odd mpg, a figure some off-road diesels would look at with envy, while CO2 emissions of 197g/km are competitive, but will still attract a high rate of benefit in kind taxation.

It's not cheap, but is packed with standard kit, especially the model drvien here.

A five-door, five-seater SUV with steel unitary construction bodyshell, the turbo-charged Boxer engine drives the front and rear wheels via a six-speed Lineartronic CVT transmission.

It has high ground clearance, boxy shape with muscular wheel arches and prominent running plates, but the XT model has a sporty edge and includes sports grille and bumpers, heated, power-folding door mirrors, roof rails, powered tailgate, twin exhausts and eye-catching 18-inch alloy wheels.

It has a commanding driving position; generous interior space and cargo capacity.

Off-road capability has also been improved with the firm's X-Mode technology.

The interior of the car matches the exterior pretty much. It won't have people drooling over design cues, but it remains a well-built with instrumentation and controls logically placed, but the dark trim can make it feel a bit gloomy.

The seats are all firm and supportive while the car has acres of head and legroom while all round visibility is good.

The car offers an impressive range of standard equipment, even for the entry model while the range topper tested here had extra bits and bling like electric sunroof, eight-way powered heated leather seats, rear vision camera, infotainment screen housing sat nav and audio, privacy glass, engine start button, keyless access and dual zone air con,

Everything feels robust and sturdy and kind of sums the whole vehicle up.

Its a big car with big interior and stowage spaces with the boot offering 505 litres with the seats up and 1,592 litres to the roof, with them folded.

The 60/40 split rear seats fold at the touch of a button and this range-topper features an electrically-powered boot opening.

Safety is more than catered for with a five-star Euro NCAP crash safety rating and includes twin front, side, curtain and knee airbags, stability and traction and hill descent control, while trailer stability control programme also improves safety during towing.