Redesigned 2025 Subaru Forester adds updated interior; hybrid to follow

LOS ANGELES — The Subaru Forester, one of the automaker's core vehicles in the U.S., its largest market, is getting a redesign that features a similar look, feel and footprint compared with the outgoing model but is bolstered by a handful of key updates inside and out.

But the biggest change with the sixth-generation compact crossover is what is still to come: a hybrid powertrain.

Unlike some key segment rivals such as the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage, the Forester has not been offered as a hybrid in the U.S.

In some markets in the country, hybrids account for 25 to 50 percent or more of RAV4, CR-V and Tuscon sales.

Subaru will launch the latest Forester with a 2.5-liter engine with 180 hp and 178 pound-feet of torque.

Subaru Corp. CEO Atsushi Osaki, speaking during the Forester's unveiling here Thursday, said the hybrid will arrive about a year after the redesigned model launches.

A hybrid Forester "represents the next steps in our new electrification plan, with more electrified models to follow quickly," Osaki said.
 

Subaru plans to have four electric vehicles on sale in the U.S. by the end of 2026 and another four EVs by the end of 2028, Osaki said. It now sells just one EV, the Solterra crossover.

William Stokes, planning manager for the Forester at Subaru of America declined to say what type of hybrid system will be used in the Forester. Stokes spoke to Automotive News this month at a press preview for the latest Forester in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Subaru last offered a hybrid in the U.S. with the previous-generation Crosstrek subcompact crossover, which borrowed some hybrid technology from partner Toyota Motor Corp. Subaru offered a Forester with its e-boxer hybrid system in other markets on the previous generation.

U.S. sales of the Forester soared 34 percent to 106,345 this year through the third quarter, ranking it eighth among compact crossovers, according to the Automotive News Research & Data Center. Through October, it was Subaru's third-bestselling nameplate in the U.S. behind the Outback midsize crossover and Crosstrek.

Stokes said the Forester was hit disproportionately hard by supply chain problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, more so than any other Subaru nameplate, which led to sales declines in 2021 and 2022.

In July 2022, Subaru of America had just a four-day supply of Foresters, Stokes noted.

"We just couldn't get any cars," Stokes said. "And that's been the story with Forester for years now that we just can't get as many as people will buy. We're really trying to improve the capacity and the production output for Forester because there's a lot of demand out there."

The Forester, which remains on the Subaru Global Platform, adopts evolutionary styling in line with redesigns for the Impreza compact and Crosstrek, with a clear resemblance to the outgoing model.

Subaru kept the Forester's hallmark shape and greenhouse, for example, though the exterior design is smoother. The wheel arches are wider, and there are also air outlets at the edge of the front wheels.

The outlets permit air to exit from the wheel well more freely, "contributing to reduced lift on the front tires and improved driving stability," Subaru said.

The biggest interior change is the addition of an 11.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system that will be found in all Foresters outside of the base trim. The large touchscreen, which allows drivers to interface with Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto, was first featured in the 2020 Legacy midsize and Outback models.

Subaru said the cabin is quieter overall. The front seats are more supportive, and there are textured trim pieces and a dark headliner, which Subaru said should hide scuffs from loading and unloading.

In a first for a Subaru, the power rear gate has a hands-free kick sensor, the automaker said.

Subaru will initially offer the 2025 Forester in five trims: base, Premium, Sport, Limited and Touring. Subaru's Wilderness trim, which the automaker launched in 2021 as an overlanding subbrand, will continue to be offered on the Forester but not at launch, Stokes said.

The latest generation of Subaru's EyeSight driver-assistance and safety suite comes standard across all trim levels.

Pricing details were not announced. The Forester will continue to be assembled in Japan and is expected to be available at U.S. dealerships in the spring.