SUBARU has stuck to its all-wheel drive guns with the vast majority of its Australian range in the face of an overwhelming surge of SUVs driving only two wheels.

While the all-Japanese-built brand resists the 2WD temptation, it has come belatedly to the automatic turbo-diesel party with the updated Forester, aiming to take a chunk of the growing market for which is has not previously had a combatant.

It has also sharpened the bean-counters' pencil, passing on free-trade agreement savings as well as adding gear and reducing the price further despite the addition of more equipment.

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