Subaru Forester News

Subaru has confirmed it will unveil a first-ever hybrid version of one of its Wilderness models at this week’s New York International Auto Show and the brand’s current US line-up suggests it will be based on the Forester Wilderness.That spells big trouble for rivalling family favourites - the Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai Tucson - which can't match the Forester Wilderness' ruggedness.Initially developed for North America, there are currently three Wildnerness varieties - the Outback Wilderness launched in early 2021, the Forester Wilderness that followed later the same year and the Crosstrek Wilderness, which arrived in 2023.Typical upgrades include increased ride height with extra ground clearance, greater roof load capacity, revised transmission gearing and all-terrain tyres to optimise low-speed traction, matt black wheels, retuned ‘X-Mode’ off-highway settings and a transmission oil cooler.All are produced at Subaru’s US manufacturing plant in Lafayette, Indiana. But the US-only factor was side-stepped when the Subaru Outback Wilderness hit Australian off-road tracks in February this year. And Subaru Australia General Manager Scott Lawrence  has previously told CarsGuide to “watch this space” on further Wilderness developments.Subaru currently offers Crosstrek and Forester Hybrid models in the USA, and a Wilderness Hybrid version of the latter is more likely as the Forester Hybrid is built in America while the Crosstrek Hybrid is produced in Japan. If the new Wilderness variant is indeed based on the Forester it’s likely to feature the current Forester Hybrid’s powertrain that combines a (121kW/212Nm) 2.5-litre petrol engine with two electric motors (90kW/276Nm) integrated into the car’s continuously variable transmission (CVT) for total system power of 145kW.You could also expect miserly 6.2L/100km fuel consumption on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle and a 1000km-plus range from every 63-litre tank of fuel.Over and above the upgrades detailed above, the Forester Wilderness features a specific nose treatment including a unique grille, skid plates, fog lights, anodized copper accents, and a glare-reducing matt black bonnet decal.Subaru has also confirmed it will unveil an “all-new, all-electric SUV” in New York, positioned under a theme of “Fast. Family. Fun.” and likely based on the recently released pure-electric Toyota Highlander (Kluger).

Subaru has launched a completely redesigned Outback in Australia this month, and it is already copping flak over an unexpected shortfall – rising fuel consumption.With the company refusing to confirm the arrival of a hybrid or plug-in hybrid option to help remedy that, buyers prioritising top fuel economy are left out in the cold.According to Subaru Australia General Manager, Scott Lawrence, it's all down to a matter of priorities.“Our priority was Forester with a strong hybrid, which we obviously announced and launched last year,” he told CarsGuide at the BU-series Outback launch in Bathurst last week.“And the Wilderness was the priority in launching Outback. It is not a ‘no’ for hybrid in Outback. (But) it's not in our short-term term plans.”Lawrence believes Subaru now provides a good balance of powertrain options for consumers across all its SUVs, meaning buyers seeking electrification are catered for.“We're confident in the broader model line-up of Forester, Forester Hybrid, Outback, Outback (Wilderness) turbo, and (recently-confirmed Solterra electric vehicle-based) Trailseeker coming in with different powertrains,” he added.“At a portfolio level, we have an option for consumers. But Outback hybrid is not off the table (although) Wilderness was absolutely the priority.”So, how much thirstier is the 2026 Outback’s fuel consumption compared to its predecessor?Using ADR 81/02 figures, the standard 2.5-litre naturally aspirated (NA) boxer engine models average 8.1 litres per 100km on the combined cycle, while the heavier and more off-road biased Wilderness with its 2.4-litre turbo boxer unit ups that to 9.7L/100km.These represent hikes of 11 per cent and 7.7 per cent, respectively.Both engines are said to be updated versions of those offered in the previous Outback, yet their corresponding combined average consumption figures are 7.3L/100km and 9.0L/100km.But, out in the real world, during the launch driving with two-to-three people in the car out from Sydney to Bathurst and back (taking the scenic routes) over two days, the trip computer in both grades displayed around 10L/100km and 11.5L/100km for NA and turbo respectively.These types of fuel-consumption numbers tend to be optimistic in most cases.Given that the new NA model only weigh about 50kg more than its substantially smaller BT-series Outback predecessor, inferior aerodynamics is the likely cause (no drag co-efficiency figures are available at this time), particularly when factoring in the boxier shape, wider body, higher body and larger front area compared to before.What’s doubly disappointing is that the company’s two other popular SUVs, the mid-sized Forester and smaller Crosstrek crossover that share the same basic Subaru Global Platform components, already offer a hybrid option.Overseas reports suggest that a variation of the latest Forester’s 2.5-litre ‘e-Boxer’ four-cylinder naturally aspirated hybrid engine is the likely candidate for the Outback hybrid.In the smaller SUV’s current application, it combines a 121kW/212Nm petrol engine with a 90kW/276Nm electric motor and 1.1kWh battery, for a power total of 145kW.While that’s 9kW ahead of the 136kW/247Nm Forester 2.5-litre NA (and up on torque too, though Subaru does not disclose combined torque figures for hybrids – perhaps because they use a Toyota system and Toyota doesn’t either?) the fuel figure saving is 21.5 per cent, or 6.2L/100km (down from 7.9L/100km).If you apply that percentage figure to the Outback 2.5 NA model’s 8.1L/100km, in theory, an Outback hybrid using the same ‘Strong Hybrid’ (ex-Toyota) system could see that combined-average figure tumble to under 6.4L/100km.When that is likely to occur is anybody’s guess, with some speculation suggesting that Subaru may roll out the hybrid option as early as the end of this year, while others speculate that it could come as late as mid-life refresh/facelift time, which could be 2028 or later for Australia.It’s not all bad news for Outback buyers, however.The seventh generation progresses in a number of key areas, including interior packaging, dashboard operation, safety tech, ride comfort, seat support and steering control.Our first driving impressions suggest this is the best Outback since the series debuted in Australia in 1996 as part of the second-generation (but now defunct) Liberty wagon range.

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The new Subaru Forester landing in Australia could finally open the gates for more proper hybrid models in the brand’s local line-up, as well as more electric cars to come after the lacklustre Toyota bZ4X-based Solterra EV.

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Subaru, we love you but you're missing a few things.Where is your ute? Your retro-revived Brumby? And while we’re at it there are so many other models you should be making and selling in Australia. Here’s our shopping list of what Subaru needs to doOK, well it does look like the Brumby might happen, with CarsGuide reporting recently that Subaru and Toyota were teaming up to produce a small electric ute. And that’s exciting even if it’s only taken 31 years to bring the Brumby back. We’re not saying Subaru doesn't have any good cars in Australia - it absolutely does. The family favourite Forester is probably the best off-the beaten track capable mid sized SUV and the WRX is a superb rally car for the road, but there are more than a few missing models from Subaru’s line-up.The most obvious is a seven seater SUV, which would be able to compete with Mitsubishi's Outlander, Kia’s Sorento and Hyundai’s Santa Fe. Imagine a Forester XL — a three row, seven-seat SUV that’s about 200mm longer than the standard Forester at 4840mm length. It’d have Subaru’s symmetrical SUV and 215mm of ground clearance and be one of the most adept light-off roaders on sale. Price it from $50,990 to $73,000. It’d sell like cakes that are hot.You actually don't have to imagine a Forester XL, because it really exists in the United States and it's called the Ascent. It's  a three-row seven- or eight-seat SUV that's basically a big Forester.What about a Toyota LandCruiser or Nissan Patrol rival? Could Subaru build one of these? Not on its own, but it is very buddy-buddy with Toyota. In the same way Subaru’s BRZ sports car and Solterra electric SUV were both born out of joint ventures with Toyota, a LandCruiser Prado or 300 Series version could be entirely possible.Oh, and while we’re at it, a HiLux-based ute would also see Subaru go head-to-head with Ford’s Ranger, Nissan’s Navara and Isuzu D-Max.I’d like to think Subaru could come up with amazing names for these two new vehicles but history says coming up with a names isn’t really the brand’s strength. So the ute would likely be something like the Subaru Muster and the big hardcore off-road SUV would be the Subaru Longitude. Terrible names, great cars. And finally, a people-mover and you can thank the Kia Carnival for changing everybody’s mind about these vans being uncool and making them kind of desirable again. Subaru actually sold a seven-seater people-mover called the Exiga in 2012. It was based on the Liberty wagon, but it was discontinued in 2015 from Australia.Despite people mover sales only representing about one per cent of the total market share Kia still managed to sell 10,080 Carnivals in 2024 — that's a quarter of Subaru's total sales for the same year. Will any of these imaginary Subarus actually happen? Probably not. Well the Brumby small ute is likely. Subaru plans to make more joint venture EVs with Toyota, which also makes sense. Still a Forester XL would be nice.

Subaru locks in more hardcore off-road variants of its core SUV range.

Subaru Australia will have a richer hybrid line-up with its new, sixth-generation Forester and it expects its electrified variants will outsell the petrol variants.Subaru Australia General Manager, Scott Lawrence, said it expects the hybrid sales split to widen as time goes on.“Ultimately, customers will decide, and we have got a really firm view that we need to give customers options,” said Mr Lawrence.“That’s why we have petrol range as well as a hybrid range.“What will be interesting to see how that changes over time.“We see good demand for both, maybe slightly stronger in hybrid, but as time goes on, we do see that customer demand changing towards hybrid.”In 2024, Subaru sold a total of 13,445 examples of the Forester. Only 1718 examples were equipped with a hybrid powertrain, equalling only 12.8 per cent.It’s expected this year’s figure will rise with the introduction of the new Forester. First deliveries are set to take place in early July.Compared to the outgoing Forester Hybrid, this new-generation model is considerably more electrified. It features Subaru’s new Strong Hybrid technology rather than mild-hybrid technology.Using a 2.5-litre flat-four petrol engine as a base (up from the 2.0-litre in the outgoing model), it’s paired with a 90kW/276Nm electric motor and a 1.1kWh battery pack.Total system output is 145kW, which is 9kW more than the standard 2.5-litre flat-four petrol engine the Forester receives.Subaru claims combined fuel consumption for the Forester Hybrid is 6.2L/100km, which is 27.4 per cent better than what the regular Forester claims (7.9L/100km).It doesn't compare to favourably to its main rival, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid AWD, which produces more power (163kW) and drinks less fuel (4.8L/100km).The new Forester Hybrid is claimed to be able to travel over 1000km on a tank of petrol. It has a 63L fuel tank.At launch Subaru is offering the Forester Hybrid in three trim levels – AWD Hybrid, AWD Hybrid Sport, and AWD Hybrid Touring.Pricing for the hybrid models starts at $46,490 before on-roads, and extends to $55,990 before on-roads.Compared to the equivalent petrol variants, the hybrids are between $3000 and $6500 more expensive. It’s worth noting, however, that some trim levels have differing standard equipment.As examples, the Forester AWD Hybrid Sport and AWD Hybrid Touring gain larger 19-inch alloy wheels and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. These don’t feature on the equivalent petrol variants.Another difference is the Forester Hybrid doesn’t come with a spare wheel as standard. Instead it has a tyre repair kit.Subaru Australia however is offering the Forester Hybrid with an optional tow ball-mounted spare wheel accessory. At this stage it hasn’t detailed how much this costs.