All-new 2025 Subaru Forester features hybrid option
Renowned for being one of the safest, most reliable medium SUVs on the market, the Subaru Forester is set to debut in sixth-generation model guise.
Subaru’s all-new sixth-generation Forester SUV will launch mid-year featuring a bold new design and two new powertrain options including a hybrid four-cylinder version of its trademark Boxer engine.
The Subaru Forester will be available in seven different variants comprising four petrol and three petrol-hybrids.
Petrol variants
- Forester AWD
- Forester AWD Premium
- Forester AWD Sport
- Forester AWD Touring variants.
Hybrid variants
- Forester AWD Hybrid
- Forester AWD Hybrid Sport
- Forester AWD Hybrid Touring.
Full specifications and pricing for the new Subaru Forester range have not yet been released, with Subaru promising more details closer to launch.
For now, we can see that the new model Forester features a bolder, more athletic-looking exterior design incorporating a redesigned grille, flared wheel arches, and distinctive C-shaped LED headlights.
Riding tall with a class-leading 220mm of ground clearance, the Forester also boasts standard roof rails, with select variants adopting a new kick-sensor powered tailgate embossed with the ‘Forester’ name.
Headlining the new lineup are the three hybrid variants equipped with Subaru’s next-generation e-Boxer hybrid powertrain.
The e-Boxer pairs a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an 88kW electric motor and a 1.1kW battery system, driving through an eight-speed CVT. The electrified powertrain is claimed to deliver enhanced fuel economy, instant torque, and an impressive driving range of over 1,000km per tank.
Other models in the range come equipped with Subaru’s proven 2.5-litre Boxer four-cylinder petrol engine, driving all four wheels via Subaru’s Lineartronic CVT transmission.
Whether petrol or petrol-hybrid, all Foresters come standard with Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system, plus X-Mode all-terrain system which provides enhanced grip and stability on slippery surfaces and challenging terrain.
On the safety front, the new Forester features the latest generation of Subaru’s EyeSight Driver Assist technology with new Emergency Driving Stop feature. Other notable safety inclusions are a 360-Degree View Monitor, and nine SRS airbags.
Inside, every Forester gets a high-definition 11.6-inch touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, with wireless phone charging also standard.
The more expensive Forester AWD Hybrid Sport and Forester AWD Hybrid Touring also adopt a customisable 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster for the driver.
Once one of Australia’s most popular medium SUVs, the Forester has struggled to maintain its market share in a segment that now boasts 26 competitors in the sub-$60k category and a further 30 in the premium $60,000-plus segment.
In 2024 Forester’s year-on-year sales were down almost 18% in a 2024 market that was up slightly on 2023.
Despite this, the Forester remains the most popular of Subaru’s seven model lines, meaning the arrival of this all-new model can’t come soon enough for a brand battling the dominance of Toyota’s RAV4 and a wave of new Chinese competitors including BYD, Chery, Geely, GWM, and Leapmotor.
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