The death of the turbocharger isn’t dampening sales of the fifth-generation Subaru Forester in its home country of Japan. Subaru Corporation reveals that 4,119 units have been reserved so far after just a month.

The most sellable variant? By far, it’s the Advance model that’s taken up a sizable 40 percent chunk of the order books. This model is the one equipped with the new driver monitoring system (it uses facial recognition to detect inattentive / drowsy drivers) and the e-Boxer engine.

It must be remembered that the e-Boxer engine (the 2.0-liter boxer engine with electric assist) replaces the turbocharged XT as the Forester’s top-trim model. The normally aspirated motor develops 145 horsepower and 188 Nm of torque while the electric motor gives a further 13.6 horsepower and 65 Nm of torque. The compact design of the e-Boxer engine and its corresponding lithium-ion battery pack allows it to start off without firing up its engine. All in all, it’s able to achieve 18.6 km/L under the JC08 test cycle.

The all-new Forester goes on sale in Japan on July 19, but the Forester Advance equipped with the e-Boxer engine will hit showrooms by September 14.

For the Philippine market, expect the all-new model to arrive before the year ends at the earliest. Best bet is still at the 2019 Manila International Auto Show in April or May next year. It is unknown whether overseas market such as the Philippines will get the e-Boxer engine.