2025 Subaru Forester price and specs: New hybrid, petrol SUV up to $5850 dearer

• 2025 Subaru Forester pricing and specifications
• New, more powerful hybrid system available
• Equipment boosted across the range
• Priced from $43,490 plus on-road costs

The 2025 Subaru Forester mid-size SUV is due in showrooms in early July, headlined by a new Toyota-derived ‘strong hybrid’ system promising more power and improved efficiency.

The cheapest version of the Forester costs $4800 more than before – at nearly $50,000 drive-away – and the top-trim grade has risen by $5850, for a price above $60,000 drive-away.

Additional standard equipment across the range helps offset the price rise, as well as a new body, and technology not offered on the previous model.

The line-up for the new Forester comprises four petrol-only variants (Forester, Forester Premium, Forester Sport and Forester Touring), while there are three versions of the new hybrid (Forester Hybrid, Forester Hybrid Sport, and Forester Hybrid Touring).

All models are equipped with Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive system, with ‘always on’ torque to all four wheels.

Petrol-only models use a 136kW version of the 2.5-litre four-cylinder boxer engine and continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).

The hybrid promises a more significant step forward, pairing the 2.5-litre Subaru engine with a Toyota-sourced electric drive motor and battery pack for lower fuel use than the old in-house Forester Hybrid.

Unlike Toyota hybrids, which feature an electrically driven rear axle, the Subaru Forester Hybrid places its electric motor such that the car can power all four wheels on petrol or electric power, or both.

Pricing for the Forester AWD starts from $43,490 plus one road costs, with the Forester AWD Hybrid priced from $46,490 before on-road costs.

All Forester variants are equipped with an 11.6-inch portrait touchscreen offering wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless/wired Android Auto, models from the Premium and above adding satellite navigation.

A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is also standard on Forester Hybrid Sport and Hybrid Touring models, offering the driver multiple display options, including a navigation view.

An updated six-speaker audio system is fitted to most models in the range, but the Touring, Sport Hybrid, and Touring Hybrid step up to a 10-speaker Harman Kardon premium stereo.

Standard equipment on the base Forester AWD includes 18-inch alloy wheels, dusk-sensing LED headlights with self-levelling, steering-responsive headlights, LED fog lights, keyless entry with push-button start, and tyre pressure monitoring.

Inside, the entry-level Forester offers dual-zone climate control, rear air vents, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, cloth seats, heated front seats, an auto-dimming interior mirror, and one-touch electronic rear seat release. 

A new camera with a wider field of view powers features such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, lane-centring assist, autonomous emergency braking, traffic sign recognition, and intelligent speed limiting across all models.

Other safety tech includes blind spot monitoring, a driver-monitoring camera with emergency driving stop (if the system detects the driver is unresponsive), lane-change assist, 360-degree cameras, reverse automatic braking, adaptive headlights, and more.

The Forester Premium adds auto-dimming and auto-folding mirrors, a hands-free power tailgate, power-adjustable front seats with driver memory, and extra driver monitoring system functions such as auto door mirror adjustment and driver seat adjustment via facial recognition.

Forester Sport upgrades to a dark metallic finish for the 18-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof, two-setting X-Mode terrain system (up from single-mode with hill-descent in lower grades), a ‘premium’ instrument cluster, green highlights, and water-repellent grey and black seat trim.

The Hybrid Sport goes further with low-profile roof rails, 19-inch alloy wheels in a bronze finish, a bronze instrument panel finish, 12.3-inch instrument cluster, and 10-speaker Harman Kardon audio.

The Touring adds leather and Ultrasuede upholstery, a leather gear shifter, brown stitching for the steering wheel, and front seat ventilation. Petrol models lack the Touring Hybrid's widescreen instrument cluster and 19-inch wheels.

The new Forester Hybrid system combines a 121kW/212Nm version of Subaru’s 2.5-litre engine with a 90kW Toyota-sourced electric motor and 1.1kWh battery for a combined output of 145kW.

Petrol models retain the same 136kW power output, but torque is up 8Nm over the previous Forester, to 247Nm.

Claimed fuel consumption for non-hybrid models is rated at 7.9 litres per 100km (up 0.5L/100km over the previous models), the Forester Hybrid is rated at 6.2L/100km, a 0.5L/100km improvement over the previous Forester Hybrid.

Under the more aggressive-looking styling, the new Forester is built on a revised, strengthened version of the Subaru Global platform that underpins the previous generation Forester as well as the current Impreza, Crosstrek, WRX and Outback.

Inside, Subaru engineers have redesigned the seats for improved comfort, consulting anatomy experts to design seats with better lower back and hip support. A new side bolster design has been implemented to reduce whiplash in the event of a collision.

Subaru says there are new, slim windscreen pillars to ensure clear forward visibility, rearward visibility that allows one-metre-high objects to be seen from as close as 2.2 metres away, and a rear quarter panel design that’s claimed to reduce the risk of low-speed driveway incidents.

Petrol Foresters are equipped with a full-size 18-inch spare wheel, while the Forester Hybrid is equipped with a tyre repair kit.

An accessory spare wheel solution for hybrid models is available to order from Subaru dealers nationally.

Orders are now open for the 2025 Subaru Forester range, with customer deliveries expected to begin from July.

• Forester AWD – $43,490 (up $4800 over Forester 2.5i)
• Forester AWD Premium – $46,490 (up $2600)
• Forester AWD Sport – $48,490 (up $2850)
• Forester AWD Touring – $50,990 (up $3850 over Forester 2.5i-S)
• Forester AWD Hybrid – $46,490 (up $2400 over Forester Hybrid L)
• Forester AWD Hybrid Sport – $54,990 (new model)
• Forester AWD Hybrid Touring – $55,990 (up $5850 over Forester Hybrid S)

Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs.

• Horizontally-opposed Boxer 4-cylinder, petrol engine (petrol)
• New Lineartronic CVT with 8-speed manual mode (petrol)
• Next-generation strong Hybrid e-Boxer, combining 2.5-litre Boxer engine with a
• 90kW electric motor and 1.1kWh battery (hybrid)
• New Lineartronic CVT (hybrid)
• Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
• Auto Stop Start
• Smart key and push-start ignition
• Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-Drive) with two modes (Intelligent and Sport)
• X-Mode with hill descent control (petrol)
• Dual-mode X-Mode with hill descent control (hybrid) 
• Vehicle Dynamics Control System (VDC)
• Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
• 18-inch gloss finish alloy wheels (new design)
• Dusk-sensing self-levelling LED headlights with auto off
• Door mirrors – heated & power-folding
• Front cornering lamps
• Front and rear wipers with front de-icer
• Front LED fog lights
• Rear LED fog light
• FORESTER embossed on rear garnish
• Roof rails - ladder style
• Rear spoiler
• Steering Responsive Headlights (SRH)
• Cloth seat trim
• Dual-zone, climate-control air-conditioning with rear vents
• Leather steering wheel – silver stitching
• Premium style instrument cluster (hybrid)
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• Heated seats – driver and front passenger
• One-touch electronic folding rear seats
• 60/40 split folding rear seats
• Central information display with 11.6-inch touchscreen
• Wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ connectivity
• USB ports - USB-A and USB-C connection (front and rear)
• Wireless Qi charger
• 6-speaker audio
• Multi-Information Display Unit featuring 4.2-inch LCD screen
• Nine SRS airbags
• EyeSight® Driver Assist system featuring:
  • Adaptive Cruise Control
  • Emergency Lane Keep Assist
  • Emergency Driving Stop System (NEW Subaru feature this year)
  • Lane Centring Function
  • Lane Departure Prevention
  • Lane Departure Warning
  • Lane Sway Warning
  • Lead Vehicle Start Alert
  • Pre-Collision Braking System
  • Pre-Collision Throttle Management
  • Autonomous Emergency Steering
  • Brake Light Recognition
  • Intelligent Speed Limiter
  • Speed Limiter
  • Speed & Traffic Sign Recognition
  • Wide-angle Monocular Camera with wider field of view
• Subaru Vision Assist featuring:
  • Adaptive Driving Beam (ADB)
  • Blind Sport Monitor (BSM)
  • EyeSight® Assist Monitor
  • Front Side Radar
  • Front View Monitor (FVM)
  • Lane Change Assist (LCA)
  • Panoramic 360 Degree View Monitor
  • Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
  • Rear parking sensors
  • Reverse Automatic Braking
  • Side View Monitor (SVM) – Passenger and driver side
• Driver Monitoring System – Driver Focus featuring:
  • Distraction warning
  • Drowsiness warning
  • Facial recognition
  • Climate control setting (last used)
  • MFD display (last used)
  • MID display (last used)

• Door mirrors – auto-dipping (passenger side) and auto-folding with position memory
• Hands-free kick sensor, powered tailgate
• 8-way power seat with lumbar support - driver
• 8-way power front passenger seat
• Dual seat memory positions - driver
• Entertainment, Technology and Safety
• Satellite Navigation
• Driver Monitoring System with auto-door mirror adjustment
• Auto driver seat adjustment

• 2 Mode X-Mode
• Low-profile roof rails (hybrid)
• 18-inch alloy wheels, dark metallic finish (petrol)
• 19-inch alloy wheels, bronze finish (hybrid)
• Electric sunroof
• Exterior grade badge
• Water repellent in grey & black seat trim
• Bronze instrument panel finish (hybrid)
• Premium style instrument cluster
• Leather steering wheel – green stitching
• 8-way power seat with lumbar support - driver (hybrid)
• 8-way power front passenger seat (hybrid)
• Dual seat memory positions - driver (hybrid)
• Multi-Information Display Unit features navigation summary display
• Satellite navigation (hybrid)
• 10 Harman Kardon speakers, amplifier and subwoofer (hybrid)
• 12.3-inch full LCD instrument cluster (hybrid)

• 18-inch alloy wheels (petrol)
• 19-inch alloy wheels, gloss finish (hybrid)
• Low-profile roof rails
• Leather accented and Ultrasuede seat trim
• Leather gear shift
• Leather steering wheel – brown stitching
• Ventilated front seats
• 10 Harman Kardon speakers, subwoofer and amplifier

Kez Casey migrated from behind spare parts counters to writing about cars over ten years ago. Raised by a family of automotive workers, Kez grew up in workshops and panel shops before making the switch to reviews and road tests for The Motor Report, Drive and CarAdvice.

Read more about Kez Casey