The Forester was introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show November 1995 as the "Sutoriga" (Stalker) concept, and made available for sale February 1997 in Japan, and to the US market in 1998 using the Impreza platform but with the larger 2.5 liter DOHC EJ25D four-cylinder boxer engine from the Outback, making hp (kW) at 5600 rpm and lb·ft ( N·m) of torque at 4000 rpm. In Japan, the Forester replaced the Subaru Impreza Gravel Express, known in the USA as the Subaru Outback Sport. The Forester appeared after the introduction of the Nissan Rasheen in Japan with a similar appearance, and the Forester's Japanese competitors include the Toyota RAV4, the Honda CR-V, and the Suzuki Grand Vitara. The name "forester" is meant to imply the vehicle is "of the forest". Due to the Forester's low center of gr