The Subaru Forester Is known as practical, capable and a little more robust than are medium-sized SUV rivals, but the competition led by the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is becoming increasingly refined.
That is why Subaru has upgraded his sixth generation forest ranger with a more modern look and a large number of mechanical upgrades.
The most important of these is a new hybrid system that combines the trademark 2.5-liter four-cylinders ‘boxer’ petrol engine of the Japanese brand with electric motor technology. But it retains the layout of the four-wheel drive that the forester made such a favorite with Australian buyers.
Our first ride of the new Forester comes from the British launch in the English Midlands, so this is an overview of a British specification model with a European-oriented 2.0-liter engine that is not expected to come to Australia.
The basic principles and technology, however, remain more or less the same, and we have put it to the test at Fast Country Roads, as well as motorways and city streets, plus a small light off-road, prior to the release of the new forester in Australia later this year.
How does the Subaru Forester to compare?
View a detailed breakdown of the Subaru Forester Against vehicles of comparable size.
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How much does the Subaru Forester cost?
In North America, the new Forester Hybrid is priced from US $ 34,995 (a $ 55,400), making it noticeably more expensive than the cheapest Mazda CX-5, but the Subaru is supplied as standard with the hybrid system.
Standard equipment is even quite generous, with even the basic premium version a driven tailgate, digital instrument cluster and the new multimedia -twchscreen.
Thus, based on value, the forester Hybrid does not stack badly with his rivals. Although Subaru Australia has not yet confirmed the prices, we expect it to be positioned here in the same way.
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What is the Subaru Forester as on the inside?
The cabin of the forester has never been the most chic and the new Forester Hybrid does not do much to change that. The cabin is effectively the same as that of the standard model, with a portrait-oriented infotainment touchscreen and a digital instrument cluster.
The technology is fairly easy to use, but it doesn’t look that impressive. The graphics are quite blocky and the color scheme is all a bit old-school, which is not necessarily a big problem for those who upgrade their existing Subaru.
But if you look at a Volkswagen Tiguan, RAV4 or CX-5, which is also about to be renewed, the screen of the forester seems to be outdated.
Just like some of the interior materials, which are robust enough and neatly constructed, but they are not exactly tactile. There are a number of really cheap feeling plastic that knock, and even the upholstery on the steering wheel feels underwhelming.
Combine that with some dark colors and shift gear that feels less than inspiring, and the forester really doesn’t feel as up -to -date as many of his rivals. Even the RAV4, which is not exactly holy, feels plusher than the Subaru inside.
But although the forester may not be the most stylish contenders in this incredibly competitive market segment, it is at least spacious.
Boot capacity is more than 500 liters, which is on the same footing with most of its rivals, while the rear cabin space is also fairly generous, both in terms of legroom and headroom. And the seats are comfortable everywhere, while assembly points for child seats are mounted in the two outboard -on seats – as the norm in this sector is.
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What’s under the hood?
For Australia, the new Forester Hybrid combines a 2.5-liter flat four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 121 kW with two integrated electrical morners that produce up to 88 kW. The system then drives all four wheels through a ‘LinearTronic’ continuous variable transmission and the proven ‘symmetrical’ four -wheel drive system from Subaru.
| Specifications | 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid |
|---|---|
| Engine | 2.5-liter four-cylinder petrol-electric |
| Total system output | 145 KW |
| Battery | Unaccompanied |
| Transfer | LinearTRONIC E-CVT |
| Type Drive type | Four -wheel drive |
| Weight (curb) | Unaccompanied |
| Fuel consumption (claimed) | 6.7L/100 km |
| Capacity of fuel tank | 48L |
| CO2 emissions | Unaccompanied |
The combination gives the forester Hybrid a total output of 145 kW – on the 136 kW of the standard buses – and Subaru claims that it is up to 40 percent more efficient than the standard model in the city.
The official fuel consumption of 6.7L/100 km is more than the RAV4 hybrid, but an improvement of the 7.4L/100 km of pure gasoline-driven foresters.
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How does the Subaru Forester Drive?
The forester has made a name for himself as robust and capable off-road, and Subaru has been careful to keep that possibility with the new Forester Hybrid.
With 220 mm ground freedom and Subaru’s Hallmark AWD system under the floor, the forester has a lot of traction and although we only did a very light off-road during our first ride, it all cost in his step.
It didn’t miss a beat in the muddy traces, and apart from some winding of the front wheels, we hardly knew that we were not on a much gripper surface.
Our UK-Spec teech vehicle used a 100 kW 2.0-liter hybrid system instead of the 2.5-liter system that we get in Australia. But apart from displacement, the concept is almost the same and it is remarkably proactive, closing the engine and the use of electrical current when the system does not have to work too hard.
And because Subaru has worked to make it smoother than before, the entire system is more refined than in the outgoing forester Hybrid.
Admittedly, when they are pushed hard, our 2.0-liter test car made a lot of noise and did not have much strength at hand, but then 100 kw is not near the 145 kW that Australian customers will receive.
That should also help on the front of the refinement, because it is not necessary to push the powertrain, because you have to push the 2.0-liter car to make something that is approaching a strong progress.
But the powertrain is not the only thing that Subaru has updated. Numerous structural tweaks include extra welding in the bodywork, making the car stiffer and therefore more refined and agile – at least in theory.
In practice, the forester is a bit more comfortable, with a little softer suspension that makes the ride tastier than before about longer wavelengths. It is too soft over sharper surface -units, but on longer journeys it feels noticeably more in accordance with its predecessor.
Unfortunately it is not better to drive. The controls are very light and a bit vague, which does not inspire much faith in corners, where there is also a bit of body roll is-avolid a by-product of the soft suspension and asarticulation that is needed for off-road.
But it means that the car is fairly shaky in the city, and the enormous amount of glass above the belt line means that appearance visibility is reasonably good. And the forester is still better than most of his competitors when it comes to tackling the raw stuff.
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What do you get?
Subaru Australia has not confirmed the final specifications for the new Forester Hybrid locally, although some details have surfaced. We expect that three or four equipment levels are offered.
2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid Highlights:
- 12.3-inch Digital instrument cluster
- 11.6-inch touchscreen Infotainment system
- Assistance technology of the eyesight
- Driving modes
- Reversal camera
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Air conditioning
- Satellite navigation
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Is the Subaru Forester Safe?
The New Look Forester Hybrid still has to be assessed by ANCAP, but the 2.0-liter version has passed on Euro NCAP tests with flag and windy colors, which achieves the top five-star rating of the independent European security body.
Subaru has been busy updating its camera-based safety technology on eyesight to ensure that you do not have to put those crash-root references to the test. Many of the functions of that system are easy to reach via the touchscreen, so that you can switch the systems you need relatively quickly and easily.
Safety equipment includes:
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Lane help
- Parking sensors
- Pre-collision gas management
- Automatic emergency control
- Adaptive cruise control
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How much does the Subaru Forester costs to run?
Subaru Australia currently offers a five-year, unlimited kilometer guarantee for all new cars, and the new forester will be no exception.
On the road it is claimed that the 2.5-liter Forester Hybrid uses 6.7 l/100 km, which is an improvement compared to versions with gasoline and slightly more efficient than the outgoing hybrid model.
With longer disks, the car is not that economic thanks to the permanent four -wheel drive system, but the electric motor takes a lot of the tension of the engine in the city, which improves urban efficiency.
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Carexpert’s look at the Subaru Forester
If you appreciate robustness, reliability and off-road power above all, the forester is still the car for you.
It now looks better and more comfortable than before, but if leaving the BlackTop is less a priority and you just want an SUV from the family that feels semi-premium and pleasant to drive, there are better and more polished options that there are.
Interested in buying a Subaru Forester? Contact one of the trusted dealers of Carexpert here
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