Subaru News

Subaru has announced a limited-edition STI Sport variant for its 2025 Forester range. Set to arrive in late September, the STI Sport AWD will be priced at $48,640, before on-road costs, and will be based on the mid-spec Forester 2.5i-S AWD, which is priced at $45,540, before on-road costs.

Subaru has dropped the ball on the WRX STI and its fans deserve better.

It looks like the already swelling ranks of mid-size hybrid SUVs is set to expand even further with the emergence of a Subaru trademark for the name ‘e-Outback’ pointing to an upcoming electrified version of the evergreen Aussie family favourite.As reported by AutoGuide Subaru has registered the term e-Outback with the Japan Patent Office, a clear signal a new variant of the five-seat crossover wagon could be heading our way sooner rather than later.While it’s possible an e-Outback would follow the path already established by ‘e-Boxer’ mild-hybrid Subaru Crosstrek and Forester models it’s more likely the newcomer will adopt a full series-parallel hybrid powertrain as used so successfully in its corporate cousin, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.Toyota owns 20 per cent of Subaru (as well as smaller stakes in other Japanese carmakers like Isuzu, Mazda and Suzuki) and technology, even model sharing, is common between the two brands.Already, shared models like the Subaru Solterra / Toyota bZ4X BEV twins and the long-established BRZ / GR86 sports cars are in market here and Subaru is on the record saying future Subaru hybrids would start to adopt Toyota's drivetrain technology.Reports out of Japan point to an upgraded version of the Crosstrek small crossover using hybrid tech from the Toyota Corolla Cross could arrive before the end of this year with a revised Forester featuring a Toyota-sourced hybrid powertrain set for launch in Japan in Q2 2025.A complete move away from Subaru’s focus on horizontally-opposed ‘flat’ engines would be a marketing challenge and it’s likely the e-Outback will retain its boxer engine and adopt Toyota’s hybrid transaxle in place of the current CVT auto.Of course, another, less likely scenario is the e-Outback arrives as a pure battery-electric  vehicle, but conflict with the Solterra would seemingly rule that possibility out.Powered by a (138kW/245Nm) 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated four cylinder engine in its three lower grades and a (183kW/350Nm) 2.4-litre turbo four in top-spec XT trim the current Outback returns between 7.3 and 9.0L/100km on the combined (urban/extra-urban) fuel consumption cycle.By comparison, the RAV4, which dominates the medium SUV segment and is now offered in hybrid form only, boasts an official combined cycle figure of just 4.7L/100km.CarsGuide has contacted Subaru Australia for comment on the e-Outback’s potential for the local market and this story will be updated in line with any response. 

Subaru Australia has announced a special edition of its popular Outback lifted wagon. 

There are a handful of new-car bargain gems out there, with a combination of design, packaging, engineering, performance, economy and quality that belie their affordable pricing. We name our top seven picks.

The original cop-magnet has found itself on the other side of the law up north, with Northern Territory Police announcing the addition of the Subaru WRX to their fleet. According to the NT Government, 13 WRXs will join the forces' high-performance vehicle

Subaru has mildly tweaked its affordable sports car

The Subaru Forester is gearing up to launch in Japan next year with a ‘strong hybrid’ powertrain. The new Forester was revealed in November 2023 with sales of US-produced models in North America already in full swing. There, it is equipped with a revised 2.5-litre flat-four engine with no hybrid boost. According to Japanese publication Best Car which has strong industry sources, the Forester will launch in Q2 2025 with a Toyota-sourced hybrid powertrain. The latest update comes off the back of Toyota, Subaru and Mazda’s announcement that development of the combustion engine is far from over.A concept Crosstrek small SUV featuring a Subaru flat-four engine with a Toyota-sourced hybrid system was on display. This is what's expected to feature in Japan-built Foresters. A Crosstrek version is also coming but timing is unconfirmed.Final details are yet to be announced but Subaru Chief Technical Officer Tetsuro Fujinuki told Best Car the Forester’s system will be series-parallel – just like Toyota’s – as opposed to the old e-Boxer parallel-only set-up. The current Subaru Forester Hybrid features a mild-hybrid powertrain that drops fuel economy by 0.7L/100km in the ADR combined cycle. It is also 26kW less powerful than the 2.5-litre four-cylinder powertrain.To rival the Toyota RAV4 (4.8L/100km), Nissan X-Trail (6.1L/100km) and Kia Sportage (4.9L/100km) hybrids, the new Forester’s system will need to be stronger. The brand says the new hybrid system will maintain ‘Subaru character’, meaning the flat-four ‘boxer’ engine layout will continue. As for maintaining Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive, that could be a little more complex. The all-wheel drive RAV4 would not rival a Forester in technical and muddy conditions. It sends drive to the rear wheels via a 40kW rear electric motor, not a mechanical connection to the combustion engine like the Forester.Maintaining all-terrain capability in the new hybrid forester will be crucial for Subaru. It is understood a full-electric model of the Forester is also in development, though it will come later. The mid-size SUV market has shown its appreciation for hybrids here, with Toyota committing to 100 per cent hybrid RAV4s sales after the mix naturally climbed beyond 90 per cent. Subaru will also need the hybrid to navigate Australia's New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) coming soon. Announcement of the new Forester Hybrid from Subaru Japan is expected in Australian spring time, with sales starting in Japan by the second quarter of 2025. Then Subaru Australia Managing Director Blair Read – who has since moved to another role within Subaru's importer Inchcape and been replaced by Scott Lawrence – spoke to CarsGuide about the hybrid Forester at the Solterra's local media launch. "We're very excited about that - I've always said with next-gen Forester it's our number-one selling model in Australia, so we need to put our best foot forward - we believe that strong hybrid technology will be a big shot in the arm. Alongside some other things which we'll keep under wraps until the launch," Read said."Our plan at this stage is to launch with both petrol and hybrid - there will be a short period, a gap in deliveries, as we change over to the new model," added Read.

The cost of electric cars is coming down at last and it’s happening fast, too, with big brands slashing prices.

It seems reports of the internal-combustion engine’s (ICE) death have been greatly exaggerated with confirmation overnight that Toyota, Mazda and Subaru have jointly committed to development of new-generation ICE technology “tailored to electrification and the pursuit of carbon neutrality”.