Subaru Forester 2025 review: Australian preview drive

It’s been a staple of the Australian medium SUV market for close to 30 years, but over time the Subaru Forester has conceded ground to the all-conquering Toyota RAV4 and other long-term category favourites like the Mitsubishi Outlander, Kia Sportage and Mazda CX-5.

But an all-new, sixth-generation version of the evergreen all-wheel-drive five-seater will be hitting local showrooms mid-year and CarsGuide was invited to a preview drive to see if it has the potential to win back share in one of the country’s most hotly contested new-car segments. 

Featuring a distinctive exterior design, a new hybrid powertrain option, upgraded safety and a fresh, screen-rich interior treatment the latest Forester is aimed at the Subaru faithful while offering enough innovation to pique the interest of potential newcomers or those open to a brand reconciliation.

Offered in four grades - all in pure petrol and three with the option of hybrid power - new Forester prices are yet to be confirmed, although we know even the entry-level model features an 11.6-inch high-def multimedia touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, heated front seats, 18-inch alloy wheels, a 360-degree camera view system and a comprehensive safety suite.

Next step up is the Premium which adds sat-nav, a powered tailgate, power-adjustable seats and auto-folding mirrors. Then the Sport adds an upgraded ‘X-Mode’ system, water-repellent synthetic leather seat trim, a sunroof and 19-inch alloys for the hybrid version.

Finally, the top-spec Touring scores a leather-trimmed steering wheel, 10-speaker Harman/Kardon sound, front-seat ventilation and low-profile roof rails.

No indication on pricing yet, but for reference the current-gen car starts from $38,690 and rises to $50,140, before on-road costs.

2026 Subaru Forester (image: James Cleary)

From a design point-of-view, the new Forester’s ‘star cluster’ logo and its overall proportions as well as signature design elements like clearly defined, extended wheel arches, a tall glasshouse and high-riding stance mark it as a recognisable but sleeker continuation of the Subaru mid-sizer. 

A horizontal band spanning the top of the grille links that logo with new split headlight clusters and a simplified bumper sits below. The tail incorporates a similar lateral element visually connecting sharply tapered tail-lights while updated alloy rims fill the wheel arches.

Inside, the dash is dominated by that 11.6-inch media screen, joined by a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster on the two top hybrid grades.

And speaking of hybrid, alongside the existing 2.5-litre, four-cylinder, horizontally opposed ‘boxer’ petrol engine, the new Forester introduces a hybrid ‘e-Boxer’ powertrain which pairs a 2.5-litre flat four with 88kWs’ worth of electrical assistance, including a 1.1kW battery in support. 

Both set-ups send power to all four wheels, the pure petrol version via a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) with eight simulated ‘ratios’, while the hybrid relies on the combination of its primary traction motor and a smaller starter/generator (both housed inside the transmission case) to mimic the characteristics of a CVT.

That secondary unit also starts the engine and diverts excess power to generate electricity for the battery. Claimed range for the hybrid is in excess of 1000km.

2026 Subaru Forester (image: James Cleary)

In terms of practicality, there’s plenty of space in the front, with generous bins in the doors including room for bottles, two cupholders in the centre console, a deep lidded bin/armrest between the seats, a decent glove box and wireless charging pad in front of the shifter.

Heaps of room in the back, too, with loads of head- and legroom (for me at 183cm), individual, adjustable air vents, multiple map pockets and USB-C and -A outlets. There are two cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest.

Boot capacity is around 790 litres with the 60/40 rear seat upright and close to 2000 litres with it folded down. That’s heaps, and a range of tie-down points, bag hooks and storage trays dial up usability. A powered tailgate is standard on the Premium grade and above.

2026 Subaru Forester (image: James Cleary)

Also worth noting the petrol version has a full-size spare wheel/tyre (big tick) while the hybrid makes do with a repair/inflator kit. The latter is far from ideal, especially when you consider the car’s off-road potential.

We had the opportunity to drive the new Forester in pure petrol and hybrid form, on and off-road, although to be clear, the former was a private road course with a billiard table smooth surface that did little to test ride compliance.

Although exact specification will be confirmed closer to launch, it’s fair to assume the petrol car’s outputs will be close to the outgoing model’s at around 135kW/240Nm, and we know that in overseas markets the hybrid steps power up to around 145kW (although overall torque is a mystery at this point).

In terms of acceleration you can expect a 0-100km/h time of around 10 seconds for the petrol and a number in the high eight second bracket for the hybrid and that difference was clearly discernible on the road.

Full disclosure… I’m not a CVT fan, and despite the petrol car’s eight simulated ratios, that characteristic ‘slipping-clutch’ vibe is evident under enthusiastic acceleration. Not so much in the hybrid where the dual-motor set-up is doing the transmission work.

Suspension is by struts at the front and multi links at the rear and body roll is well controlled (even in the slightly heavier hybrid), as is front to rear pitching under acceleration and braking.

2026 Subaru Forester (image: James Cleary)

The steering is well weighted with good feel and the car points nicely. The all-wheel-drive system keeps everything under control in tight cornering and the Bridgestone Turanza rubber grips enthusiastically.

Braking is by ventilated discs front and rear and even after repeated high-speed stops on the road the pedal remained firm and progressive (on application and release). 

We had the opportunity to drive the car off road over rocky trails and a few steepish descents and its 220mm ground clearance is handy, while its multi-setting ‘X-Mode’ system delivers impressive flexibility and controlled drive on broken surfaces.

Under the heading of ergonomics and miscellaneous observations, wind and road noise are modest at freeway speeds, the front seats in all grades are comfy and supportive and the tall glasshouse affords good vision all around.

The Forester achieved a maximum five-star Euro NCAP rating in 2024, so even though ANCAP is yet to assess the car it’s fair to expect a top-shelf result when it does.

Driver assistance tech includes the latest iteration of Subaru’s ‘EyeSight’ active safety system, as well as driver monitoring and updated AEB across the range. Nine airbags include full-length side curtains and a front centre bag.

2026 Subaru Forester (image: James Cleary)

There are three top tethers for child seats across the second row, with ISOFIX anchors on the two outer positions.

The new Forester will be covered by Subaru’s five-year/unlimited km warranty, which matches the mainstream market but trails an increasing number of competitors sitting at seven and even 10 years.

Expect a service interval of 12 months/12,500km with capped-price and pre-paid deals on offer, the latter likely to run to around $540 per workshop visit. Worth noting a RAV4 is $270 per service over the same period.