A day after being awed and mesmerized by the eye candies at the Singapore Motorshow, Motor Image, Subaru’s exclusive dealer in the Southeast Asian region, organized a test drive for the media to acquaint themselves further with the new e-Boxer.

Held at the sprawling grounds of the Changi Exhibition Center, Motor Image provided the PH media contingent with an up close and personal experience with the new e-Boxer.

With different stages marked with cones strategically spread throughout the grounds of the exhibition center, media scribes experienced how the e-Boxer behaved during acceleration, cornering and sudden stops. There was a also a special rig that enabled us to see the articulation of the e-Boxer’s suspension system.

Riding on Subaru’s Global Platform, the e-Boxer’s suspension had to be redone to accommodate the electric motor and lithium-ion battery pack. Being a bit heavier than the average 2.0 liter Forester, engineers added  support to the SUV’s which improved the body’s stiffness, while also reducing noise and vibration of the e-Boxer. This was evident when we pushed the SUV around the test track and I did not have to elevate my voice during queries about the vehicle while driving around.

Subaru fans need not worry about performance, engineers did not cut corners because under is a healthy 145bhp, direct injection engine that works in tandem with a torque electric motor. Subaru says that the e-Boxer has a better mileage up to 40 percent, mainly because the e-Boxer can run purely on electric power at low speeds and can cover the distance of up to 50 kms.

Showroom of the future

If you personally know the man behind Motor Image, Glenn Tan, Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of the influential Tan Chong Group of Singapore, you’ll notice that he is tech savvy. He wears two watches, one which is probably more expensive than your car, and on the right wrist, he wears an Apple watch. He is also abreast with the latest digital gadgets and is active on social media.

So it came as no surprise that the Subaru flagship dealer in Toa Payoh is as high tech as an Apple watch. Upon entering the brightly lit showroom, the reception clerk welcomes you and will give you instructions about the services and functions of the showroom. Unlike your average car dealer where a sales representative follows you around like a shadow, buying a car here will require you to tinker with an . The will allow you to choose what variant, color and it will also provide you the specs about the car of your choice.

Inspired by the Apple Store layout, what amazed me was the virtual reality showroom that lets the customer virtually drive the vehicle of his/her choice in a VR-3D World. The customer will don special goggles that will show a virtual depiction of the car, a detailed look at the parts, the design and one can even open the doors, trunk and its other features as well.

There is also a heritage display of notable Subaru cars that made automotive history for its overall design and performance. of Subaru WRX Sti’s can also be seen the showroom, as well as merchandise and a time line of Subaru’s history.

Tan says that Subaru’s C5 dealership will be converted into a VR-3D showroom similar to its Singapore facility.

And if you want your car to be a car show ready and in top condition all the time visit Blade Auto Center nationwide, we offer global brands such as; Sparco, OMP, Goodyear, Polaroid, Mothers, Pioneer, Pertua, and Chupa Chups.