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The Lowdown:
2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid | Image: Subaru USA
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With a debut at the Chicago Auto Show earlier this month, Subaru has officially revealed the new Subaru Forester Hybrid at the Melbourne Motorshow, set to take on the top-selling car in Australia, the Toyota RAV4.
The RAV4 was the top-selling vehicle in Australia in 2024 with 58,718 vehicles sold, but that number looks tiny when you compare it to the sales in the United States where the RAV4 outsold the Ford F-150 for the first time, according to Jato Dynamics data. How many did they sell? Well, F-150 sales dropped 5 per cent to 460,915 in 2024. Meanwhile, Toyota RAV4 registrations increased by 9 per cent to 475,193, and it seems this is the wake-up call that Subaru needed, unveiling the new model shortly after the sales figures were announced.
Now, Subaru Australia is ready to bring the top-selling Forester to market, and it’s going to be their most important model release in decades as it shapes up to become the best alternative to the RAV4. The brand is yet to share an indicative price for the vehicle in Australia, but they have confirmed that the new hybrid SUV will debut here by mid-2025 in both hybrid and non-hybrid formats.
Toyota has discontinued the non-hybrid RAV4 and it will certainly be interesting to see how Subaru keeps the price of the hybrid model down to stay competitive. The Toyota RAV4 starts from AUD$42,260 plus on-roads while the current generation Subaru Forester starts from AUD$38,690 plus on-roads.
What’s Under the Bonnet of the New Subaru Forester?
Under the bonnet of the new Forester Hybrid model is a 2.5-litre Subaru Boxer engine that produces an unspecified amount of power with an 88kW electric motor and Subaru’s signature Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system to deliver 145kW/270Nm of combined power and torque.
By comparison, that figure is down on power compared to the Toyota RAV4s 163kW, but surely enough to make the new Subaru Forester hybrid feel light on its feet thanks to the electric propulsion.
Notably, the city fuel economy has jumped by 30 per cent over the naturally aspirated petrol, and while that figure is yet to be confirmed for the Australian market vehicles, we’d expect it to carry over from the US-spec models. Even more impressively, this hybrid powertrain delivers an impressive driving range of over 1,000km per tank (based on laboratory results under ADR testing conditions).
Unlike the RAV4, the Forester does not have an electric motor powering the rear wheels, and because of this Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system, Subaru claims that it retains a low centre of gravity and optimal handling whilst adding enhanced range.
To add to this, the hybrid Forester also gets a torque vectoring system, vehicle dynamics control and an off-road X-Mode system from the standard petrol model while the ground clearance stands at a class-leading 220mm ground clearance.
That said there is an even more off-road-focused Wilderness version in the United States which comes with the standard petrol engine while having a significant increase in ground clearance at 236mm along with different suspension, all-terrain tyres, and a beefier set of bumpers.
It remains to be seen whether Subaru will offer this car here in Australia as it wasn’t announced at the release today, but we’d love to see it!
What’s the Interior of the Subaru Forester Like?
Every model in the all-new Subaru Forester range will come with a tablet-like 11.6-inch Multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility along with a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster on ‘selected’ Hybrid variants.
Of course, like all new Subaru models, the Forester will come with the brand’s top-level safety systems, including the Eyesight Driver Assist Technology with active cruise control, innovative Driver Monitoring System, Emergency Driving Stop System, 360-Degree View Monitor, and nine SRS airbags.
“Inspired by six generations of adventure this next-generation Forester features a bold rugged design, with the confidence of Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and renowned X-Mode,” said General Manager of Subaru Australia, Scott Lawrence. “It’s built to take you from city streets to untamed trails with ease. Its revolutionary design brings advanced safety and immersive in-car technology and enhanced all-terrain capability. We are looking forward to sharing more details on the all-new Forester range in both petrol and hybrid over the coming months.”
When is the New Subaru Forester Coming to Australia?
“The new-generation Forester is stronger, smarter and more capable than ever — and it’s exactly what Australians need from an SUV,” said Scott Lawrence, General Manager, Subaru Australia. “During local testing it’s handled everything we threw at it, from rough country roads, unpredictable weather, steep climbs and changing conditions. It’s built to take on real Australian driving and the addition of Subaru’s latest Hybrid technology gives drivers the very best Subaru SUV.”
We expect the pricing to be more competitive for the Australian market considering the number of Japanese vehicles we import, while exact specifications and further details are to be revealed closer to launch.
Full List of Model Specifications for Subaru Forester in Australia
The all-new Subaru Forester will be available in seven variants, this is how the model range is broken down in Australia.
Petrol-Only Variants of the Subaru Forester
Forester AWD
- 2.5-litre Boxer petrol engine
- Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
- X-Mode
- Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-Drive) – 2 mode
- Subaru’s Vision Assist with Panoramic 360 Degree View Monitor
- 9 SRS airbags now including:
- Far Side airbag
- Front Passenger Seat Cushion airbag
- The latest gen of Subaru EyeSight® which now adds:
- Wide-angle monocular camera
- Emergency Driving Stop System
- Front side radar
- Reverse Automatic Braking
- Driver Monitoring System
- An 11.6-inch high-definition touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ connectivity
- Wireless Qi charger
- Heated front seats
- Ladder style roof rails
- 18-inch alloy wheels
Forester AWD Premium adds:
- Satellite navigation
- Powered tailgate with kick sensor
- Powered front seats:
- 8-way power seat with dual memory – driver
- Electric lumbar support – driver
- 8-way power seat – front passenger
- Auto driver’s seat and door mirror adjustment DMS functions
- Auto folding door mirrors with auto dipping passenger mirror on reverse
Forester AWD Sport adds:
- X-Mode – 2 mode
- Water repellent synthetic leather seat trim
- Electric sunroof
- Dark metallic 18-inch alloy wheels
- Unique styling cues such as:
- Black front grille with green insert
- Symmetrical All Wheel Drive exterior badge – Green
- Exterior Sport badge – Green
- Interior seat stitching – Green
- leather steering wheel with green stitching
- Shift boot with green stitching
Forester AWD Touring adds:
- 10 speaker, plus sub-woofer and amplifier, Harman Kardon® audio system
- Leather and Ultrasuede® accented seat trim in a choice of a black or brown colour themes
- Front seat ventilation
- Stylish gloss black exterior highlights on the:
- Front grille
- Front and rear bumper
- Side garnish
- Door mirrors caps
- Low profile roof rails
Hybrid Variants of the Subaru Forester
Forester AWD Hybrid
- Next generation strong hybrid e-Boxer
- Lineartronic CVT with Sports Regeneration Paddles
- Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
- X-Mode – 2 mode
- Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-Drive)
- Subaru’s Vision Assist with Panoramic 360 Degree View Monitor
- 9 SRS airbags now including:
- Far Side airbag
- Front Passenger Seat Cushion airbag
- The latest gen of Subaru EyeSight® which now adds:
- Wide-angle monocular camera
- Emergency Driving Stop System
- Front side radar
- Reverse Automatic Braking
- Driver Monitoring System
- An 11.6-inch high-definition touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ connectivity
- Wireless Qi Charger
- Heated front seats
- Ladder style roof rails
- 18-inch alloy wheels
Forester AWD Hybrid Sport adds:
- Stylish bronze accents on the:
- Front and rear bumper
- Side garnish
- Symmetrical All Wheel Drive badge
- Electric sunroof
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- Satellite navigation
- Powered tailgate with kick sensor
- Auto driver’s seat and door mirror adjustment DMS functions
- Powered front seats:
- 8-way power seat with dual memory – driver
- Electric lumbar support – driver
- 8-way power seat – front passenger
- Auto folding door mirrors with auto dipping passenger mirror on reverse
- 10 speaker, plus sub-woofer and amplifier, Harman Kardon® audio system
- Enhanced suspension for improved comfort on bumpy roads
- Low profile roof rails
- 19-inch alloy wheels – Bronze colour
Forester AWD Hybrid Touring adds:
- 19-inch alloy wheels – Dark grey machined gloss finish
- Leather and Ultrasuede® accented seat trim in a choice of a black or brown colour themes
- Front seat ventilation
- Stylish gloss black exterior highlights on the:
- Front grille
- Front and rear bumper
- Side garnish
