Subaru Forester Hybrid 2025 toughens up to take down Toyota RAV4, Nissan X-Trail and Haval H6 hybrids

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The sixth-generation 2025 Subaru Forester has finally hit Australian shores after its global debut in North America took place in November 2023. 

Subaru Forester pricing is yet to be confirmed but we have full specification details for the Australian market, including the new 145kW 2.5-litre petrol-based hybrid powertrain that maintains Subaru’s signature symmetrical all-wheel-drive system. 

Four familiar trim levels are available, starting with the base AWD, moving up to Premium (petrol-only), then the active lifestyle-focused Sport, and finally flagship Touring. 

One glaring omission is the continued lack of Wilderness trim we’ve been waiting for since way back in 2022, when then managing director Blair Read told Chasing Cars the trim was on the table. 

Subaru Forester 2025 hybrid powertrain

The new hybrid powertrain is available on more grades than ever in the Subaru line-up and, although combined consumption is not-yet-confirmed, Subaru claims the Forester hybrid will travel over 1000km from a tank of petrol. 

That means we can expect 6.0L/100km in our testing, though the US EPA figure is 6.7L/100km. Both are behind the best-in-class Toyota RAV4 AWD (4L/100km), as well as the Haval H6 hybrid (L/100km) and Nissan X-Trail e-Power. 

The Forester hybrid uses a 2.5L flat-four ‘Boxer’ engine (121kW) and a pair of electric motor generators outputting a combined 88kW — much punchier than the old Forester’s piddly 12kW item. 

The system drives a CVT automatic which funnels grunt through a central differential that splits torque between both axles. Subaru maintains the 50-50 split 4WD system is a crucial element for the Forester faithful.

Four variant line-up

The sixth-gen Forester is coming to Australia in four familiar grades, starting with the base AWD trim available with the hybrid or 2.5L four-cylinder petrol paired with a ‘Lineartronic’ CVT automatic. 

Subaru Forester AWD features

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• LED headlights
• Ladder-style roof rails
• 11.6-inch multimedia touchscreen
• Wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
• Cloth upholstery
• Heated front seats
• Wireless smartphone charger

From the entry level, the Forester has an upgraded safety suite with nine airbags, latest-gen Subaru Eyesight system (with wide-angle front camera, AEB with reverse function, driver monitoring and more) along with X-Mode for tricky terrain. 

The Premium is a petrol-only offering and gets a few extra goodies listed below. 

• Power tailgate with kick sensor
• Auto-folding mirrors
• Satellite navigation
• 8-way power adjust front seat with driver lumbar and memory

For more outdoorsy vibes, the Forester Sport steps in (petrol and hybrid) with unique exterior styling. The petrol goes for a black and green theme outside and in with water-repellent upholstery. Dark Metallic 18-inch alloy wheels and sunroof finishes the look. 

The hybrid Forester Sport goes a different direction with ‘Stylish Bronze’ exterior accents and colour-matched 19-inch alloy wheels. In hybrid trim, the Sport gains more features including a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, 10-speaker sound system and bespoke suspension tune. 

Topping off the range is the Touring; leather and Ultrasuede upholstery can be had in black or brown and seat ventilation joins the Forester line-up for the first time. Petrol Tourings keep the 18s and regular instrument cluster while hybrids score dark grey 19-inch alloy wheels. 

Subaru is yet to confirm pricing for the Forester but expect a lift on the current $38,690-$50,140 (before on-road costs), with a likely high point for $55,000 for the Touring hybrid. 

An exact release date for the Forester is no clearer than mid-year, but Chasing Cars understands that means some time in July.