An All Round Training (ART) session allowed us to experience some of the best technologies from Subaru that make its cars feel special.
So you’re shopping for a car but don’t want to break the bank in doing so. The sensible thing to do would be to browse the myriad Korean or Japanese brands that represent reliability and affordability in equal measure. In some cases, even a modicum of style.
However, with modest power outputs, and front-wheel drive layouts, the driving experience can feel, well, homogeneous. Truth be told, there’s precious little to set one model apart from the next in terms of how they feel like to drive.
Kudos, then to brands like Subaru. Since 1972, the Japanese outfit has doggedly persisted with its maxim of perfecting all-wheel drive and horizontally oriented engines. This is all in the interest of the best stability and driving experience possible.
So all-wheel drive gives the driver grip and horizontally-opposed ‘boxer’ engines lower the centre of gravity. Over the years, Subaru has built on this foundation by incorporating various technologies to enhance the safety and handling of its cars.
Last week, regional distributor Motor Image held a dynamic showcase of its core safety and handling tech at an event it dubbed, the Subaru All Round Training session at the carpark of Singapore Expo at Changi.
Passing the EyeSight test
In addition to Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, Boxer engines and Subaru Global Platform chassis, the Japanese manufacturer also includes the camera-based driver assistance aid known as EyeSight among its four core technologies. These can be found in all its models on sale today.
First up was a Pre-Collision Braking exercise, a Subaru Crosstrek was on hand to demonstrate the latest iteration of EyeSight. To put the system to the test, a full-scale standee of a Forester SUV was placed at the end of a short, straight section of the Expo carpark. We were told to accelerate to 30km/h and not brake when we got up to the dummy target.
True enough, the Crosstrek brought itself to a complete, albeit abrupt halt about 30cm from what would have the rear bumper of the vehicle in front. The EyeSight Pre-Collision Braking system is said to work up to 150km/h. Obviously, with higher speeds come longer braking distances and more deceleration stresses on the occupants.
The reality of driving in the 21st Century is that we are too easily distracted by our devices and occasionally even the functions of the cars themselves. In many modern cars, for example, the proliferation of touchscreens depends on drivers to take their eyes off the road to use them. Although this isn’t a problem in the Crosstrek as it has a healthy mix of intuitive tactile controls, I can think of many other cars that would benefit from a system like EyeSight that would make driving a lot safer.
Subaru drivers can also take heart in knowing that their cars are fitted with a similar collision avoidance system that works in reverse. Known as Reverse Automatic Braking (RAB), the car is capable of automatically braking if it senses an obstacle that might impact the rear of the vehicle.
Gymkhana Workout
To experience the agility of the Subaru Forester, a gymkhana course was set up to simulate an urban parking scenario, where the driver had to pilot the SUV into a parking bay, then reverse into an adjacent space, followed by negotiating a roundabout – in reverse!
Personally, I’ve never encountered such a situation in the real world. However, if I ever do, I would hope that the car I’m in has a backup camera as accurate as the one in the Forester.
Taxi Driver
No driving showcase is complete without a few hot laps of taxi rides as a finale. In the case of Subaru All Round Training, it certainly did not disappoint. A pair of the latest Subaru WRX with manual gearboxes were used for a spirited session of “chase and run” piloted by pro drivers showing their passengers what these 2.4-litre turbocharged four-wheel drive cars are capable of.
Rain, for many other brands, would have spelt disaster for such an event. In the case of Subaru however, the wet weather that day added another dimension to the occasion. The all-wheel drive performance vehicles simply took to the slick surface like proverbial ducks to water and never missed a beat.
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