2025 Subaru Forester review: Australian quick drive

Subaru's Forester has been a favourite with Aussie buyers for years, and with good reason. Chief among them is the genuine, mechanical all-wheel-drive (AWD) system that doesn't rely on electronic trickery, but rather works more conventionally to provide all-weather and all-surface grip.

While electronic traction aids have reduced the advantage Subaru used to have with its AWD system, there's something to be said for the surety of Subaru's 50:50 drive split and the way it works.

The other factor that puts the Forester at the forefront of buyers' minds is its car-like driving dynamics and feel behind the wheel. It has always felt more like driving a car than an SUV or 4WD, and for buyers who primarily spend their time in the city, that's a factor worth taking into consideration.

Previously, Subaru's 'hybrid' Forester didn't deliver the fuel-use savings we expected, which meant it couldn't compete with the runaway segment leader – the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.

Now, for this sixth generation, Subaru has armed the Forester with a hybrid system it reckons can deliver the fuel savings buyers want, while retaining the signature Subaru drive experience, durability, and practicality. Our brief Aussie first drive reveals a few things about the new Forester.

Our usual spec details will be devoid of deep detail, because at the time of our first drive, Subaru hadn't finalised Australian specification, pricing, or quoted specific engine outputs and fuel use. The vehicles we drove were pre-production models, sent here for testing and evaluation, and to get the photo and video packages ready for launch.

It's not uncommon for manufacturers to do that, of course, but it's less common for them to let us get our hands on the cars this early. Therefore, we'll have to wait until closer to the launch proper to be able to let you know the specific details in more depth.

The hybrid system will still be called 'e-Boxer' as before, that much we know. The new hybrid mechanicals pair Subaru's tried and tested 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol boxer engine with an 88kW electric motor and 1.1kWh battery pack. The hybrid part of the drivetrain is sourced from partner Toyota, but as mentioned above, the Forester will eschew a layout that would see an electric motor power the rear wheels for example.

Instead, Subaru retains its signature AWD system that is mechanically linked, but with newfound electric assistance. There's a continuously variable transmission, and while Subaru hasn't given us the official fuel claim as yet, it does claim the Forester will be able to cover 1000km on a tank of fuel.

The Forester we drove also equipped the new 12.3-inch digital driver's display with the new-for-this-model 11.6-inch infotainment centre screen, which remains in portrait layout. We've seen and tested that screen in the WRX before, but not in Forester, and the digital driver's display really lifts the cabin feel of the Forester.

The centre screen gets wireless smartphone connectivity and there's wireless charging too. All Foresters get X-Mode off-road modes, a 360-degree camera, upgraded 'Eyesight' safety technology, nine airbags and heated front seats.

The model we tested was, according to Subaru, what we could expect to be the middle of the model range.

The most significant aspect of our short drive experience was the smoothness of the link between the petrol engine and the new-for-Forester electric assistance. Move off from standstill under electric power, and once you ask the Forester to accelerate beyond a certain load, the petrol engine kicks in and you're away. Acceleration is never sharp in that it will shove you back in your seat, but it gets moving smoothly and effortlessly.

There's nothing harsh about the transition point – certainly not that we could feel anyway – and the CVT does a neat job of sending that drive to the wheels too. For some time, Subaru has delivered a better CVT drive experience than most, and while I still don't love them in comparison to a high-quality torque converter auto, there's nothing nasty about the way the CVT works.

The hybrid system will allow you to run up to at least 30km/h without the petrol engine going to work, but like Toyota's system, it will do what it does at various speeds to reduce fuel consumption as much as it can.

The surfaces we were on were too smooth to assess the Forester's bona fides in regard to behaviour on sealed surfaces at speed, but a brief off-road drive loop on some slippery grass and mud – and loose gravel – illustrated the comfort of the ride, albeit at a lower speed. Second-row passengers reported that even on the rutted sections off-road there was nothing uncomfortable about the ride.

Subaru's hill descent control worked smoothly, too, and it's fair to say that the Forester retains a level of off-road capability that most of the medium SUV segment can't match, should you wish to use it.

Our first taste of the new hybrid Subaru Forester was a short one, but as always, let us know in the comments section below everything you want to know and we'll endeavour to answer those questions when we get to the Australian launch proper. Is the new Forester Hybrid strong enough to challenge the RAV4 Hybrid? That remains to be seen, but it would appear it now has the mechanical underpinnings that will allow it to fight on a level playing field.

Note: Photos of the diesel variant have been included due to a lack of photography supplied by Subaru

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Trent Nikolic has been road testing and writing about cars for almost 20 years. He’s been at CarAdvice/Drive since 2014 and has been a motoring editor at the NRMA, Overlander 4WD Magazine, Hot4s and Auto Salon Magazine.

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