THERE is no other automotive manufacturer quite like Subaru, especially in the Australian context where, since the late 1990s, every new Subie sold has been all-wheel drive and all, of course, uses the firm’s trademark ‘boxer’ (horizontally opposed) engines.

Combine this with the great success of high-performance sedans and wagons, especially Impreza WRX variants and it is easy to see how an enviable reputation has been built.

In 1997 Subaru introduced the original Forester which used the same platform as the Impreza. A year later came the Forester GT, powered by a slightly re-calibrated edition of the turbocharged WRX engine.

Now this concept has been taken further with the addition of the S-Edition as the flag-waving Forester. The somewhat clumsily named S-Edition uses a more powerful version of the famous 2.5-litre turbocharged flat four, offering maximum power of 193kW backed by 347Nm of torque – up from 169kW and 320Nm in the Forester XT (in which the ‘T’ stands for turbo).

The S-Edition is considerably more extroverted, particularly in the test car’s ‘WR Blue’ livery. Seventeen-inch alloys branded ‘STI’, no less, make this quite a standout vehicle, with one of our testers being followed almost to his home by a curious Subaru enthusiast.

Stiffer suspension settings, revised gearing for the automatic transmission, which is now equipped with paddleshifts, an upgrade to the interior and some other minor features suggest the premium of just $3500 over the XT Premium automatic will be well spent, especially by those who nurture memories of Subaru’s glory days in the World Rally Championship.