1987 Subaru Vortex Reviews

Subaru Australia has announced the prices for the new, sixth-generation Forester mid-size SUV ahead of deliveries commencing in early July.

Subaru's mid-size Forester SUV has a devoted following in Australia but in recent years its been overtaken by the likes of Toyota's category smashing RAV4. Largely because the latter features a super-efficient 'plug-less' hybrid powertrain. Now a new, sixth-gen Forester has a serious hybrid option of its own. And we've had a preview drive before it arrives in showrooms mid-year.

There are some states where the very existence of unmarked police cars seems almost as illogical as it is cruel, while in others, like Victoria, it’s a surprise that every second vehicle isn’t a cop car in disguise.

Subaru has debuted its seventh-generation Outback at the New York Motor Show overnight and the popular family favorite looks more like an SUV than ever.

Subaru has unveiled a trio of new models at the 2025 New York International Auto Show, one of which being a new model for the brand’s line-up in the form of an electric off-roader.

The Subaru Solterra is one of three new models unveiled by the Japanese carmaker at the New York motor show overnight, and it's promising significant improvements on driving range, power and tech.For the 2026 model year, the Toyota bZ4X-based Solterra sports a new design, including a smoother front grille, an illuminated black-and-white Subaru badge, fresh LED headlight signatures and S-U-B-A-R-U letter branding at the rear.Subaru has also dropped the black plastic wheel arches in favour of more uniform body-coloured panelling, while also adding newly designed 18 and 20-inch alloy wheels.Under the bonnet, the Solterra’s previously 71.1kWh lithium-ion battery has been traded for a slightly larger 74kWh unit, which the brand says will deliver a 25 per cent improvement in range.Currently, Subaru claims the Solterra will cover up to 414km under the WLTP cycle, with this latest announcement suggesting that figure will grow closer to 517km.Power is up too, with punchier dual electric motors delivering a maximum total output of 248kW, up from 160kW. Torque figures remain unconfirmed, but Subaru said the changes will see the car dash from 0-97km/h in under five seconds on the new top-spec XT grade.Inside, the central multimedia screen has increased from 12.3 to 14.0-inches. It is now also flanked by two 15W wireless charging pads.As before, the Solterra will offer Subaru’s trademark symmetrical all-wheel drive with X-mode configurable driving modes that include snow/dirt and deep snow/mud. Ground clearance is still rated at a welcome 212mm.Pricing is yet to be confirmed, nor is an official launch for the Australian market, although it is expected to attract a premium over the current two-variant line-up, which starts at $69,990 before on road-costs for the base AWD, if it lands here.Subaru has sold 43 Solterras in the first three months of this year, a decline of 70.3 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Subaru has announced a suite of updates for the model year 2025 WRX.Pricing now starts at $48,190 before on-road costs for the WRX AWD manual sedan, up $700 from last year.That still undercuts the likes of the Hyundai i30 N Premium sedan which kicks off at $52,000.In raising the prices, however, Subaru has added new standard safety features across the line-up, including a driver monitoring system that uses facial recognition to assess signs of drowsiness or distraction and caution the driver.A new 'Emergency Driving Stop System' is also now standard across all variants. It autonomously brings the vehicle safely to a stop in instances where the driver is unresponsive.On higher grade tS variants, a larger 12.3-inch digital driver's display is now standard. An analogue unit with a smaller central screen will remain standard for entry-grade and mid-spec variants.The same goes for Recaro front sports seats, which provide eight-way electronic adjustments on the driver’s seat and four-way manual adjustments for the passenger seats on tS.There is red 'WRX' embroidery on the dashboard for the new WRX AWD tS Spec B and AWD tS Sport Lineartronic CVT, while the latter also now carries dark grey alloy wheels.Finally, Subaru has added 'Galaxy Purple Pear' as an additional colour option to replacement from 'Solar Orange Pearl' across all WRX sedan variants.Subaru has sold 415 WRXs to March this year, a modest decline of 16 units, or 3.7 per cent, on the previous year. Overall, Subaru’s sales have fallen 9.4 per cent in the same period.

The sixth-generation Subaru Forester has had its Australian debut as part of the Melbourne Motor Show, with a local launch pencilled in for mid-2025.While the mid-size SUV was revealed in North America in late 2023, this is the first time the new Subaru Forester has been unveiled for Australia.Along with the Melbourne reveal for the 2025 Forester, Subaru Australia has confirmed the variants for the Australian line-up, consisting of four petrol and three hybrid grades.While pricing and more details around mechanical specifications are yet to be confirmed, the both petrol and hybrid versions of the Forester feature a drivetrain based around a 2.5-litre four-cylinder flat-four ‘Boxer’ engine.Hybrid variants add to that a 1.1kWh battery supplying power to an 88kW electric motor, which works with Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system via continuously variable transmission (CVT) that can simulate an eight-speed transmission.  The hybrid system in the Forester is new compared to the current-gen’s setup, which has been widely criticised for its lacklustre efficiency.A big bump in tech features means even the entry-grade petrol Forester AWD comes with features like a surround-view camera for parking and traversing terrain, Subaru’s EyeSight driver assistance suite, nine SRS airbags including far side and front-centre airbags, reverse AEB and an emergency stop system for unresponsive drivers. Heated front seats and a wireless phone charger are welcome additions to an entry grade, although existing Subaru owners might be familiar with the 11.6-inch multimedia central touchscreen, as well as elements like the steering wheel and general interior layout.The step up from that is the Forester AWD Premium which adds sat-nav, a powered tailgate, power-adjustable seats and auto-folding mirrors.Moving up the line-up and the AWD Sport adds an upgraded X-Mode terrain mode select, water-repellent synthetic leather seat trim, a sunroof, 18-inch alloys and unique styling.Finally, the top-spec Forester AWD Touring scores a leather steering wheel, 10-speaker Harma/Kardon sound system, front seat ventilation and low-profile roof rails.The hybrid half of the line-up mirrors the petrol models, with the exclusion of a Sport variant.As mentioned, pricing hasn’t been confirmed yet, but expect an increase over the current-gen which starts from $38,690 before on-roads and rises to $50,140.

Does anybody really do April Fools' Day pranks anymore? Apparently so.

Big screens and displays in cars can make interiors look modern and minimalist but what happens if they fail?