2026 Subaru Forester AWD Hybrid Sport review

In our car market where new brands are launching left, right, and centre, it’s almost calming to see an old favourite step back into the limelight.

The new Subaru Forester promises more than ever before – it’s bigger and techier, plus it now comes with a proper hybrid powertrain.

The previous-generation Subaru Forester Hybrid (of 2019) earned fair criticism from automotive media due to its limited hybrid capability, which returned a less-than-impressive fuel efficiency rating. It was a shame, because launching a medium-sized hybrid SUV in 2019 would've placed Subaru at the forefront of this now-popular sub-category.

But I digress... Subaru is back with a new-generation car that borrows hybrid learnings from one of the best in the game – Toyota. Spoiler alert: it's far better.

Notably, the new Subaru Forester has adopted hybrid power from the outset. That means buyers at all trim levels will be able to specify a fuel-efficient hybrid version, which has become a must-have in this medium SUV segment locally.

This time, Subaru has tapped long-time partner Toyota for its hybrid technology and paired the system to its iconic horizontally opposed ‘boxer’ engine.

On the range, there are no fewer than seven individual variants of the new Subaru Forester, including hybrid versions. In a win for consumers, the hybrid powertrain is available at (just about) every trim level, which is not something that can be said for rivals like the Honda CR-V, which reserves its hybrid power for the range-topping model grade.

The price spans $43,490 to $55,990 plus on-road costs. The car we’ll be honing in on is the new Hybrid Sport variant, which naturally uses Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel-drive system (as do all). It's the second-most expensive variant of the Subaru Forester range.

The Hybrid Sport gets 19-inch alloy wheels, bronze highlights for the exterior, water-repellent seat upholstery, a 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, a 12.3-inch digital cluster, and an electric sunroof.

Power is supplied by a 2.5-litre engine with an added 90kW electric motor. Combined power totals 145kW.

What you get in the Forester Hybrid Sport goes up against strong competition from the Kia Sportage GT-Line Hybrid AWD ($60,370 plus ORCs), the Hyundai Tucson Elite N Line AWD ($53,350 plus ORCs), and the Toyota RAV4 Edge ($58,360 plus ORCs).

By comparison, the Subaru shapes up as fair, in terms of value. But, it also misses out on some niceties, as you'll find out later on in this review.

The Subaru Forester Hybrid now achieves significantly improved fuel efficiency compared to its predecessor, thanks to a hybrid system shared with Toyota. The 90kW electric motor is powered by a 1.1kWh battery and the car relies upon this as a power source for a commendable amount of time.

Subaru claims the Forester Hybrid will achieve a fuel consumption rating of 6.2 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle, which is in line with what you can expect from an all-wheel-drive, hybrid medium SUV.

Even better, the Forester runs on 91-octane regular unleaded fuel too, meaning you can refuel on the cheap stuff.

During my time with the car, which was spent primarily around town, I recorded a running consumption of 6.5L/100km. This is a higher consumption than the last few times I drove a hybrid-powered medium SUV, but then again these were also front-wheel-drive variants such as the Kia Sportage GT-Line FWD and Honda CR-V e:HEV RS.

Subarus are covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty in Australia, and the brand also offers a roadside assistance membership through a partnership with your state's motoring club – think RACV, RACQ, NRMA, etc.

However, it's only valid for 12 months beyond the date of vehicle delivery.

Subaru’s capped-price servicing costs $1261.50 over three years and $2299 over five. It's the same price whether it's hybrid-powered or just the regular petrol-engined one. Service intervals are scheduled at 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

Comprehensive insurance for the Forester Hybrid Sport runs to $1545 per annum, based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

Subaru has earned its enviable reputation for safety over the course of the last few decades and it stands to this day. The new Forester was awarded a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2025, with individual scores of 83 per cent for adult occupant protection, 91 per cent for child occupant protection, 86 per cent for vulnerable road users, and 75 per cent for safety assistance.

This score is backed up by a strong suite of active safety measures that prevent crashes, plus nine total airbags that minimise injury in the event of one.

Active systems include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-centring for the adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, reverse AEB, rear cross-traffic alert, driver attention monitoring, traffic sign recognition, and lane-keep assist.

Subaru was one of the first brands to introduce a driver attention monitor, and it was a frustrating experience in previous-generation Foresters, as it is now with other new cars that are only just embracing the (poorly calibrated) technology. However, the latest version in the new Forester is really good at determining eye contact with the road and doesn't overly annoy.

Meanwhile, many other safety assist features can be tweaked and turned off to the driver's content throughout the infotainment system.

Although the previous-generation Subaru Forester wasn't cramped, the new car felt airy and spacious inside the cabin. This feeling is enhanced by a tall glasshouse offering great visibility around the car, along with bright light entering through the sunroof in the Hybrid Sport variant.

That said, it's a shame that there's no tint on the sunroof (it's too bright) and the shade cover is manually operated (#firstworldproblems).

The Hybrid Sport variant is characterised by bronze accents on the inside, as well as the outside, thanks to colourful additions to the door panels, steering wheel, and dashboard trims.

It's also the beneficiary of water-repellent upholstery, which appears like leather, but is far less breathable. Keep that in mind for hot, sunny days. That said, the fabric does its job – there were no dramas after I spilt my water bottle on the front passenger seat.

Storage is good throughout the front row, with a wireless smartphone charger, twin cupholders, a glove box, and wide bins in the door panels. I was also able to get a nice, tall driving position using the driver's electric seat adjustment (the front passenger is electric, too).

Passengers in the second row have ample leg and head room, and there are dedicated air vents to service the back seats. Storage cubbies include map pockets, door-panel bottle holders, and a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders, but it's a shame the Forester doesn't come with a reclining backrest or sliding second-row base.

A kick-action power tailgate paves the way to a 484-litre boot space in the Forester Hybrid, but I couldn't get the boot to open with the kick action. In any case, handy buttons remotely fold the second-row backrest down for a full 1655L space, plus multiple bag hooks will keep shopping bags secure.

New for the 2026 Subaru Forester is fresh technology beneath a big 11.6-inch infotainment screen.

It’s ostensibly the same system that’s already found in newer Subarus like the WRX, but it modernises the Forester SUV to compete with other cars such as the Nissan X-Trail, Hyundai Tucson, and even newcomers such as the BYD Sealion 6.

Of course, it’s got all the must-haves in 2025 – digital radio, satellite navigation, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. But the way it’s integrated is cool with the portrait orientation.

Big plus too, I love the way the air-conditioning controls are physical buttons and the fact the volume is a proper dial. There are also dedicated buttons to change bits and pieces like the safety systems.

However, it can be slow to respond to finger-touch inputs, and the processing speed does lack some pep.

There is currently no provision for the 2026 Forester to link up to smartphone-based connected services.

The Subaru Forester is as adventure-ready as you'd expect from the nameplate. That means roof rails, plastic cladding around the wheel arches, and badging signifying its hybrid and all-wheel-drive capabilities.

The new styling is arguably one of the most interesting new aspects of the Forester.

I think it looks much more American in terms of its design – it looks big and brawny – while the tall glasshouse proportions benefit interior space.

It features a new gloss-black grille and broad LED headlights at the front, and the Hybrid Sport variant gets unique bronze accents for the 19-inch alloy wheels, and around the lower trim portions.

Of the medium-sized hybrid SUVs on the Australian market, the Subaru Forester finds itself at a bit of a power disadvantage compared to its immediate rivals. The age-old alternative in the Toyota RAV4 stocks 163kW of punch, the Nissan X-Trail e-Power produces 157kW, and the Kia Sportage/Hyundai Tucson twins churn out even more at around 170kW.

With a combined 145kW from the electric and petrol motors, the Subaru Forester Hybrid is only more powerful than the Honda CR-V Hybrid, which outputs 135kW from its petrol-electric powertrain.

It stands, then, that the Subaru Forester lacks a bit of poke. It doesn't feel out of its depth, and it's well attuned to coping with the around-town suburban setting, but it's less comfortable with the open road. Pinning the throttle for an overtake is a common occurrence.

On the plus side, there's no interruption of power as the car's smarts switch from electric to petrol (and vice versa). In fact, the Forester is beautifully refined in all points of road noise – whether it be from the wind rushing past, or from the tyres slapping against the bitumen.

The 'stepped' CVT is not noisy or drony in its operation and seemed to serve the right level of torque for a given scenario. There are a couple of drive modes for the driver to skip through – including the two-stage X-Modes – but I was happiest leaving the car to its own devices. You don't feel as though you would need to make use of these modes – the car simply adapts well to varying driving scenarios.

A highlight of the new-generation Forester has to be the ride comfort. It's so good at absorbing big speed humps and potholes, and even minor stuff like corrugations are ironed out with an impressive effect.

The steering quality is not far behind. It's direct, feelsome, and accurate. It makes threading the medium-SUV body a joy through successive corners.

Key rivals for the Subaru Forester Hybrid include the Toyota RAV4, which is the segment leader in terms of sales. The RAV4 starts from $42,260 before on-road costs, but a more fairly matched spec-for-spec rival is the RAV4 Edge from $58,360 plus ORCs.

Then come other nameplates such as the Kia Sportage, Nissan X-Trail, and Hyundai Tucson hybrids. We published a comparison of these three cars earlier in the year and found the Hyundai Tucson as the best of all three, but you can watch or read that in detail here.

It's coming off a low base, with respect to the previous-generation Subaru Forester, but this latest update to the enduring Forester nameplate is hugely impressive.

The Forester Hybrid now deserves its place among all the top-tier hybrid SUVs like the Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage, and Hyundai Tucson, and even offers abilities more impressive – I think it's one of the best-handling SUVs on the market, and it arguably goes further off the beaten track.

Its fuel efficiency of 6.5L/100km, at least in my testing, still remains relatively high for a medium SUV, and owners will have to weigh that up against rivals that fare better in terms of running costs. It's an improvement over what we've seen in the Forester hybrids of old, but more work is required too.

Nonetheless, the addition of a proper hybrid system now adds another feather to the Forester's cap and cements its place as one of the best all-rounders in its class.

Tom started out in the automotive industry by exploiting his photographic skills but quickly learned journalists got the better end of the deal. With tenures at CarAdvice, Wheels Media, and now Drive, Tom's breadth of experience and industry knowledge informs a strong opinion on all things automotive. At Drive, Tom covers automotive news, car reviews, advice, and holds a special interest in long-form feature stories.

Read more about Tom Fraser