The first new Forester in seven years brings a much-improved hybrid system, and a simpler range for buyers to choose from – but the top-of-the-range model now costs more than $60,000 drive-away.
- 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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
2025 Subaru Forester price in Australia
- 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.
2025 Subaru Forester AWD standard features:
- 2.5-litre petrol engine with CVT, including eight-speed simulated manual mode (petrol only)
- 2.5-litre engine wth 90kW electric motor and 1.1kWh battery (hybrid)
- All-wheel drive
- SI-Drive (Intelligent and Sport) road drive modes
- X-Mode with single setting (petrol) or two settings (hybrid)
- Hill descent control
- 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels
- Dusk-sensing LED headlights with self levelling
- 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- 4.2-inch instrument display
- Cloth seat upholstery
- Heated front seats
- 60:40 split-folding rear seats with one-touch electronic folding
- Leather-trimmed steering wheel with silver stitching
- ‘Premium’ instrument cluster design (hybrid only)
- Dual-zone climate control with rear air vents
- Keyless entry and start
- Wireless phone charger
- Six-speaker sound system
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
- USB-A and USB-C ports (front and rear)
- Power-folding, heated door mirrors
- Ladder-style roof rails
- 360-degree camera
- Rear parking sensors
- Nine airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking, forward and reverse
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane-keep assist
- Lane centring assist
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Emergency Driving Stop System (new feature on Forester)
- Traffic sign recognition
- Driver monitoring system
- Tyre pressure monitoring
2025 Subaru Forester AWD Premium adds (over base AWD):
- Eight-way power-adjustable front seats
- Lumbar adjustment, two-position memory for driver’s seat
- Auto-folding side mirrors with passenger-side auto-dipping in reverse gear, position memory
- Power tailgate with kick sensor
- Satellite navigation
- Auto driver’s seat, door mirror adjustment powered by facial recognition, driver profiles
2025 Subaru Forester AWD Sport adds (over Premium):
- 18-inch dark metallic alloy wheels (petrol only)
- 19-inch bronze alloy wheels (hybrid only)
- Two-setting X-Mode (petrol only, as already on hybrid)
- Low-profile roof rails (hybrid only)
- Electric sunroof
- 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system (hybrid only)
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster (hybrid only)
- Water-repellent grey and black seat upholstery
- Bronze instrument panel finish (hybrid only)
- ‘Premium’ instrument cluster (petrol only, as already on hybrid)
- Green stitching on steering wheel
- Features added to Hybrid Sport from Premium petrol, as there is no Hybrid Premium:
- Eight-way power-adjustable front seats
- Lumbar adjustment, two-position memory for driver’s seat
- Satellite navigation
2025 Subaru Forester AWD Touring adds (over Sport):
- 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels (petrol only, from Premium)
- 19-inch grey/silver alloy wheels (hybrid only)
- Low-profile roof rails (petrol only, as already on hybrid)
- Leather and Ultrasuede seat upholstery
- Leather gear shifter
- Brown stitching on steering wheel
- Ventilated front seats
- 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system (petrol only, as already on hybrid)
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