The new-generation Subaru Forester will be pricier than its predecessor, but fitted with more standard kit and a much more impressive hybrid powertrain.
UPDATED 21/07/2025 9:00am: We’ve updated this article, first published on May 28, 2025, with service pricing, ANCAP safety scores, and additional imagery. Our launch review of the updated Forester is also live here.
Subaru Australia expects strong demand for both petrol and hybrid powertrains, though it says wait times will be kept to a “reasonable minimum”.
The new mid-size SUV comes in seven distinct variants, comprising four non-hybrid petrol grades – powered by the same 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder boxer engine as the existing model – and three hybrid variants using Subaru’s new “strong hybrid” powertrain.
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Boasting greater power and battery capacity and reduced fuel consumption than the old Forester Hybrid, it offers a claimed range of more than 1000km between refills.
The base price has climbed by $4800, however, the new entry-level grade – renamed simply AWD – gains features such as heated front seats, a larger 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless smartphone mirroring, larger alloy wheels, and Subaru’s driver monitoring system.
A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is reserved for the top two hybrid grades, marking the first time a digital cluster has been available in a Forester in Australia.
New safety equipment across the range include an emergency driving stop system, a wide-angle monocular camera, and two additional airbags.
Pricing
| Model | Price before on-road costs |
|---|---|
| 2026 Subaru Forester AWD | $43,490 |
| 2026 Subaru Forester AWD Premium | $46,490 |
| 2026 Subaru Forester AWD Hybrid | $46,490 |
| 2026 Subaru Forester AWD Sport | $48,490 |
| 2026 Subaru Forester AWD Touring | $50,990 |
| 2026 Subaru Forester AWD Hybrid Sport | $54,990 |
| 2026 Subaru Forester AWD Hybrid Touring | $55,990 |
The outgoing Forester was priced from $38,690 before on-road costs for the base 2.5i and $50,140 before on-roads for the flagship Hybrid S.
Drivetrains and Efficiency
There’s a new e-Boxer ‘Strong Hybrid’ powertrain available, while the carryover petrol engine has received some enhancements.
| Specifications | Subaru Forester petrol | Subaru Forester Hybrid |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 2.5L naturally aspirated boxer 4cyl petrol | 2.5L naturally aspirated boxer 4cyl petrol |
| Engine power | 136kW | 121kW |
| Engine torque | 247Nm | 212Nm |
| Electric motor outputs | – | 90kW |
| System outputs | – | 145kW |
| Battery | – | 1.1kWh |
| Transmission | CVT | – |
| Drive type | All-wheel drive | All-wheel drive |
| Kerb weight | 1622-1651kg | 1717-1766kg |
| Fuel economy (claimed) | 7.9L/100km | 6.2L/100km |
| Fuel tank capacity | 63L | 63L |
| Fuel requirement | 91-octane regular unleaded | 91-octane regular unleaded |
| CO2 emissions | 180g/km | 140g/km |
| Emissions standard | Euro 6c | Euro 6c |
| Braked towing capacity | 1800kg | 1200kg |
To give you an idea of the upgrade the Forester Hybrid has received, the outgoing model utilises an electric motor producing just 12kW of power and 66Nm of torque to supplement its smaller 2.0-litre boxer four, which produces 100kW and 196Nm on its own.
It also upgrades from a 48-litre fuel tank to a 63L one, while combined cycle fuel consumption has been reduced by 0.5L/100km compared with the outgoing hybrid.
That means the Forester Hybrid is still thirstier than, for example, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid which consumes 4.8L/100km.
The hybrid features Subaru’s TH2B hybrid transaxle, with a planetary gearseat and a secondary electric motor/generator to handle engine starts and battery recharging.
A transaxle damper replaces the traditional torque converter, and unlike the CVT in the petrol Forester there are no pulleys or chains – power delivery is instead managed by the electric motor and planetary gear set.
The petrol Forester has the same power output as its predecessor, though torque is up by 8Nm and the CVT has a broader gear ratio range with lower first and reverse gears to aid hill climbing.
Subaru also claims it has reduced noise, vibration and harshness and improved the engine’s reliability and responsiveness.
The Forester rides on MacPherson strut front and double-wishbone rear suspension.
Dimensions
The new Forester is 15mm longer and 11mm wider than its predecessor.
| Dimensions | Subaru Forester |
|---|---|
| Length | 4655mm |
| Width | 1830mm |
| Height | 1730mm |
| Wheelbase | 2670mm |
| Ground clearance | 220mm |
All petrol models have a spare wheel with hybrids having a tyre repair kit, however, a towbar-mounted spare wheel carrier (pictured) is optional, as is a full-size spare wheel.
Servicing and Warranty
Subaru Australia backs its lineup with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, along with an eight-year, 160,000km warranty for the hybrid’s battery.
| Servicing and Warranty | Subaru Forester |
|---|---|
| Warranty | 5 years, unlimited kilometres |
| Roadside assistance | 12 months |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | 5 years |
| Average annual service cost over 5 years | $459.80 |
| Total capped-price service cost | $2299 |
Subaru’s capped-price service costs have been outlined below. They’re the same for petrols and Hybrids.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| 1yr, 15,000km | $347.95 |
| 2yrs, 30,000km | $520.45 |
| 3yrs, 45,000km | $393.10 |
| 4yrs, 60,000km | $679.30 |
| 5yrs, 75,000km | $358.20 |
Safety
The Subaru Forester wears a five-star ANCAP safety rating, based on testing conducted by Euro NCAP in 2024. This applies to both powertrains.
| Category | Subaru Forester |
|---|---|
| Adult occupant protection | 83 per cent |
| Child occupant protection | 91 per cent |
| Vulnerable road user protection | 86 per cent |
| Safety assist | 75 per cent |
Standard safety equipment includes:
- 9 airbags, including:
- Far-side (NEW)
- Front passenger seat cushion (NEW)
- Active torque vectoring
- Autonomous emergency braking (forward and reverse)
- Autonomous emergency steering
- Adaptive cruise control
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Driver monitoring system
- Emergency driving stop system (NEW)
- Emergency lane-keep assist
- Front side radar
- Lane centring
- Lane change assist
- Lane-keep assist
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Rear parking sensors
- Surround-view camera
- Traffic sign recognition
- Tyre pressure monitoring
- Wide-angle monocular camera (NEW)
Standard Equipment
Specification differs slightly between petrol and hybrid models.
2025 Subaru Forester AWD equipment highlights:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Space-saver spare tyre
- Automatic, steering-responsive LED headlights
- Power-folding exterior mirrors
- LED front fog lights
- Front cornering lights
- Ladder-style roof rails
- ‘X-Mode’ with one drive mode
- Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-Drive) with two modes
- Hill descent control
- Proximity entry with push-button start
- 11.6-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen infotainment system
- Wireless Apple CarPlay
- Wireless Android Auto
- Wireless phone charger
- USB-A and USB-C outlets
- 4.2-inch instrument cluster screen
- 6-speaker sound system
- Heated front seats
- Cloth upholstery
- Dual-zone climate control with rear vents
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Silver interior stitching
- One-touch power-folding rear seats
- 60:40 split/fold rear seats
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
Forester AWD Premium adds:
- Power tailgate with kick sensor
- 8-way power driver’s seat with lumbar
- 8-way power passenger seat
- Satellite navigation
- Auto-dipping passenger-side mirror
- Power-folding exterior mirrors with memory
Forester AWD Sport adds:
- Dark metallic 18-inch alloy wheels
- Power sunroof
- ‘X-Mode’ with two drive modes
- Black front grille with green insert
- Green badging
- Water-repellent synthetic leather upholstery
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Green interior stitching
Forester AWD Touring adds:
- Gloss black front grille, front and rear bumper accents, side mirrors
- Low-profile roof rails
- Leather and suede upholstery in black or brown
- Brown interior stitching
- Ventilated front seats
- 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system with subwoofer
Forester AWD Hybrid adds (over base Forester):
- Tyre repair kit (instead of space-saver)
- Paddle shifters for regenerative braking
Forester AWD Hybrid Sport adds (over Forester Sport):
- Bronze 19-inch alloy wheels
- Bronze exterior accents
- Low-profile roof rails
- Brown interior stitching
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system with subwoofer
Forester AWD Hybrid Touring adds (over Forester Touring):
- Dark grey machined gloss finish 19-inch alloy wheels
- Leather and suede upholstery
Options
Many options are available for the Forester, so it’s worth visiting Subaru Australia’s configurator for the full list.
Petrol Essentials Pack – Carpet ($654.71)
- Cargo step panel (resin)
- Cargo tray – petrol
- Carpet mat set
Petrol Protection Pack – Carpet ($849.13)
- Cargo step panel (resin)
- Cargo tray – petrol
- Weather shields
- Carpet mat set
Petrol Explorer Pack – Carpet ($1840.26)
- Cargo step panel (resin)
- Cargo tray – petrol
- Tow bar
- Weather shields
- Carpet mat set
These packs are also available with rubber mats, which cost $770.24, $959.50, $1943.63 respectively.
Individual accessory highlights
- Carpet mat set: $206.75
- Mud guards: $187.66 front, $169.48 rear
- All-weather cargo cover: $744.25
- Body side moulding: $518.31
- Bootlip and bumper protector: $70.93
- Roof cross bars: $644.60
- Cargo barrier: $1104.75
- Tow bar: $1137.98
- STI front under spoiler (black or red): $1016.16
- STI side under spoiler: $1068.28
- STI roof spoiler: $769.05
- STI 18-inch black alloy wheels: $2649.59
Colours
There are a total of 11 exterior finishes, and none come at an additional cost.
The full colour palette comprises:
- Crystal White pearl
- Ice Silver metallic (excludes AWD Hybrid Sport)
- Magnetite Grey metallic
- Crystal Black silica
- Crimson Red pearl (excludes AWD Sport)
- Brilliant Bronze metallic (excludes AWD Sport and AWD Hybrid Sport)
- Daybreak Blue pearl (excludes AWD Sport and AWD Hybrid Sport)
- Sapphire Blue pearl (excludes AWD Sport)
- Cashmere Gold Opal (excludes AWD Sport)
- Autumn Green metallic
- River Rock pearl
Interior colours differ across the range.
AWD, AWD Premium and AWD Hybrid variants come with a choice of either black or grey/platinum cloth upholstery.
AWD Sport and AWD Hybrid Sport grades exclusively offer water-repellant grey/black upholstery.
AWD Touring and AWD Hybrid Touring grades, which feature leather and Ultrasuede upholstery, offer a choice of either black or brown/black colourways.