Suzuki Vitara vs Subaru Forester

What's the difference?

In car years, 11 is ancient.

Back when it was first released, this-generation Vitara’s competitive pricing, progressive yet pretty design, pleasant interior packaging, sporty dynamics and general driving ease helped establish the emerging small SUV segment into the powerhouse it is today.

In some ways, today’s Turbo Hybrid still impresses, especially with its punchy performance, promising economy and no-nonsense packaging. Objectively, it is still a decent proposition, with few actual vices.

But the 2026 Vitara’s high pricing, embarrassingly outdated interior, underwhelming specification and noisy ride leave it feeling too expensive, too old and too exposed against newer and more-sophisticated rivals.

Even the brightest stars eventually need to retire.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel and meals provided.

The MY26 Subaru Forester packs plenty of punch in terms of standard features, a roomy and functional interior and overall driveability. Sure, it’s not the most exciting vehicle to drive on- or off-road but to get stuck on that is to miss the point entirely. This is a decent all-rounder with a solid background and an AWD system that long ago set the gold standard for vehicles of this type.

In a tough mid-size SUV market segment aimed more at those intent on driving through car parks rather than adventuring through national parks, the Forester offers greater versatility than most and should not be ignored.

While the albeit-cheeky Mazda CX-3 clearly looks like a product of last decade, the Vitara’s boxy, broad-stance proportions were prescient, pointing to the upright shapes that prevail today. In other words, the good-looking design has aged remarkably well.

Changes to the headlights, a reshaped bumper, a revised grille, restyled wheels and paint colours are the only ways you can differentiate new from old, ignoring the Hybrid badge out back.

We wonder whether Suzuki should have tried harder visually updating the Vitara?

Measuring in at nearly 4.2 metres long, 1.8m wide and 1.6m high, the square-rigged styling hides the smallness of the Vitara, yet also seems to liberate more space inside than you might expect, aided by deep side windows.

Conversely, Suzuki’s decision to retain the old Vitara dashboard – including much of the same instrumentation – roots it into the middle of last decade. This is very disappointing.

This Forester is 4655mm long (with a 2670mm wheelbase), 1830mm wide and 1730mm high.

The new generation retains more than enough of the previous Forester – blocky profile included – to remain clearly recognisable.

Traditionalists may chafe at the slicker, more citified appearance of this Forester over previous generations but the overall package is inoffensive enough to not elicit any howls of outrage from passers-by on the street.

The Forester’s interior maintains a similar cabin look and feel as before but with a 11.6-inch portrait-oriented multimedia touchscreen dominating up front, a mix of physical and on-screen buttons, as well as soft-touch surfaces and durable plastics.

The practical shape, ease of access and spacious, airy cabin were reasons to buy the Vitara way back when, and remain relevant today.

But, stepping inside and taking a look around transports you to another time, like hearing Let it Happen by Tame Impala.

In the press release, Suzuki states: “Physical control switches remain a key focus, ensuring ease of use while driving, a touchpoint of Suzuki’s practical design philosophy.” Changing nothing in nearly a dozen years in production to save money seems more like the company’s key focus here. Even the steering wheel is precisely the same.

As we said earlier, nothing changed inside other than some minor trim, save for the new multimedia system that looks cheap and aftermarket compared to Suzuki’s earlier, distinctive and colourful quadrant layout. We welcome the inclusion of a digital speedometer, however.

Broad if flat front seats do the job, ahead of a workable driving position that helps provide good all-round vision as well as an easy reach to the multitude of buttons and switches placed around. The plastics have already proven to be long-lasting, while there is sufficient storage to be found. The climate control is effective, too.

The rear seat environment is spacious and pleasant enough, but lacks amenities like USB-C ports, cupholders and central air vents.

Further back, the load area is relatively large and simple to use. Cargo capacity varies from an unremarkable 362 litres to 642L (VDA – to the window height) or 1119L (to the ceiling), with the 60/40 rear backrests dropped providing extra versatility.

Thankfully, a space-saver spare wheel is included.

Overall, then, the Vitara’s cabin is roomy and user-friendly for a small SUV, but it also appears hopelessly out of date. That Suzuki also had the unrelated e-Vitara electric vehicle at the launch event just served to underline that fact.

The Forester is quite roomy for a mid-size SUV and this is the top-spec variant so there’s leather everywhere.

The interior layout is neat and tidy and lands firmly on the correct side of being practical and familiar, with all controls easy to locate and operate.

The touchscreen offers mostly simple intuitive functionality with infrequent need to cycle through numerous menus and sub-menus to access what you want.

The aforementioned mix of physical and on-screen buttons, as well as soft-touch surfaces and durable plastic are welcome here because, you know... real life.

The front seats offer ample support and the driver is able to dial-in their preferred position via power controls on the eight-way power-adjustable seat (with dual memory). The front passenger has an eight-way power-adjustable seat. Both seats are heated and ventilated.

The 60/40 split folding second-row seats aren’t too shabby either, in terms of comfort and amenities, with a fold-down arm-rest with cupholders and directional air vents etc.

Cargo volume is 496 litres (with rear seat in use) and 1174 litres (with the rear seat down, 1667 litres to ceiling.

The tailgate is powered and hands-free with a kick sensor (apparently). But I never tried that, instead opting for the tailgate-mounted button to open and close it.

The Forester AWD Touring (petrol) is priced at $50,990 MLP while its hybrid sibling is $55,990.

Standard features include an 11.6-inch multimedia touchscreen (with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay), 18-inch alloy wheels, auto LED headlights, dual-zone climate, heated front seats and electric folding rear seats as well as a wireless phone charger.

Top-grade additions include a sunroof, low-profile roof rails, a digital driver display, leather-accented seats, a leather auto-shifter, ventilated front seats and a 10-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.

It also has power-adjustable front seats, sat-nav, auto-dipping and folding door mirrors and a hands-free tailgate.

Exterior paint choices include 'Crystal White Pearl', 'Ice Silver Metallic', 'Magnetite Grey Metallic', 'Crystal Black Silica', 'Crimson Red Pearl', 'Brilliant Bronze Metallic', 'Daybreak Blue Pearl', 'Sapphire Blue Pearl', 'Cashmere Gold Opal', 'Autumn Green Metallic' and 'River Rock Pearl'.

If you’re expecting a Toyota-style series-parallel hybrid system here, forget it.

Instead, Suzuki offers a far-simpler, lighter and cheaper alternative that, by and large, does reduce fuel consumption. In other words, this is a mild-hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV) that, unlike others like Mazda’s, you can feel working away.

On paper, things look a bit shaky, since power drops noticeably compared to the previous 1.4-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol BoosterJet engine this unit is based on.

This version makes just under 81kW of power at 4500rpm, instead of 103kW at 5500rpm, in the interests of economy. Torque jumps though, from 220Nm to 235Nm, between a low 2000rpm to 2500rpm.

More importantly, it is coupled to a 48-volt integrated starter motor generator acting as an electric motor, and 48V 8Ah lithium-ion battery, adding an additional 12kW/50Nm to simultaneously boost acceleration and reduce consumption and emissions.

Power is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission, while the AWD version also sends drive to the rear axle when slippage is detected.

The whole MHEV system adds just 15kg, and is nestled between the MacPherson strut front axle and torsion beam rear end, for even weight distribution.

The Forester has the line-up’s 2.5-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated boxer engine (producing 136kW at 5800rpm and 247Nm at 3700rpm) matched to a constantly variable transmission (CVT), which some people detest, and some people couldn’t give a rat’s whether it’s there or not.

Also onboard is Subaru’s all-wheel drive system, driving modes (including 'Normal', 'Deep snow/Mud', and 'Snow/Dirt') and 'X-Mode' “that constantly monitors the traction available to each wheel and centralises the control of key components including the engine, transmission, drivetrain and brakes to help manage slippery conditions”, according to Subaru.

The Vitara Turbo Hybrid 2WD returns a combined average 5.8 litres per 100km, while the AWD version is rated at 5.9L/100km. This translates to between 130 grams and 139g/km of carbon-dioxide emissions, respectively.

The previous 1.4-litre turbo equivalents were 5.9L and 6.2L/100km, so that mild-hybrid tech seems to make some difference. Our box-fresh test car’s trip computer driving around Sydney’s outer suburbs displayed 6.2L/100km.

Filling the 47L fuel tank with the required 95 RON premium-unleaded petrol, expect to average around 810km of range.

Official fuel consumption on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle for the Forester is 7.9L/100km and it uses 91RON 'standard' unleaded petrol at a minimum.

On this test, I recorded 8.1L/100km. But fuel consumption was as low as a dash-indicated 1.7L/100km while driving the Forester with adaptive cruise control engaged.

The Forester has a 63-litre fuel tank, so, going by our on-test fuel-use figures you could reasonably expect a driving range of almost 780km from a full tank. However, as with any vehicle, once you’ve loaded the Forester with any real-world burdens (e.g kids, dogs, camping gear, etc) you’ll soon see the fuel consumption increase.

Suzuki allowed only a frustratingly limited amount of time for us to drive the Vitara Turbo Hybrid 2WD, over some outer-suburban Sydney back roads, in convoy with a lead car and in heavy traffic, so first impressions are limited.

But, unsurprisingly, it’s all very familiar, after years of testing earlier iterations.

Essentially, acceleration now feels leisurely in 'Eco' and 'Auto' when previously the 1.4L BoosterJet always felt punchy, but it becomes much stronger in 'Sport', suggesting the MHEV’s economy focus is the priority. The latter mode makes the Vitara feel lively and moves things along fairly quickly, but leaving it in Sport mode would defeat the purpose of trying to save fuel.

Meanwhile, the Vitara’s chassis calibration remains on the sporty side, with keen steering response and a decent level of handling agility there for the taking. And even the ride comfort wasn’t too bad, considering that too little suspension travel and too much road noise betray the age of this vehicle’s platform – though that may have also had something to do with us driving this back-to-back with the smoother e-Vitara EV.

Finally, the ADAS tech didn’t seem to interfere at all, though a longer drive may reveal otherwise.

The Vitara still drives okay, then, but its refinement and noise suppression may be issues for some people used to newer SUVs. The bigger problem for us is just how old the driving experience feels sitting inside such a dated cabin. Stale sums it up.

We also had a brief stint around a moderately-demanding off-road 4WD course to test the Turbo Hybrid AWD’s AllGrip set-up. The limited off-road aids – 4WD Lock, hill-descent control, a paltry 175mm ground clearance – helped see it navigate several carefully-chosen sections fairly confidently, but we can’t imagine this being the deal maker or breaker.

Overall, based on our brief time with it, the Vitara Turbo Hybrid remains an easy, competent and even enjoyable small SUV from behind the wheel, but one that feels dated in too many areas, especially at its asking price.

The Forester feels comfortable and composed on sealed surfaces and offers some degree of dynamism to the driving experience – so in line with previous generations.

It feels more refined, sharper to steer and more responsive than before. There’s ample visibility to the front but a substantial B pillar obscures the driver’s vision back over their right shoulder.

The Boxer engine and CVT work well together, power and torque outputs are more than adequate in this package, and that much-maligned transmission is not intrusive if the Forester is driven with care and common sense.

However, acceleration from a full stop is sluggish.

The suspension set-up – MacPherson struts up front and double wishbones at the rear – yields a firm but not jarring sense of ride and handling.

The 1662kg Forester proved nimble to manoeuvre around the Big Smoke, the suburbs and in the bush (more about that soon) with a neat 10.8m turning circle.

All-wheel drive vehicles are capable of tackling off-road adventures in their own right but, for safety’s sake, AWD drivers should avoid anything beyond well-maintained dirt tracks in dry weather. AWD cars are designed for use on bitumen roads with some dirt or light-duty off-road use.

And so it was with our test of this Forester. On-test off-road terrain equalled firm-packed sand and gravel/dirt bush tracks in dry weather, although we did drive through one shin-deep mudhole with no trouble.

The Forester has a listed 220mm of ground clearance, the suspension held up well over a brief stint on mild corrugations and Subaru AWD proved more than up to the task when things became a little trickier, providing improved grip and traction in slippery conditions that demanded to be driven at very low speeds.

If push comes to shove, it’s capable of more than light off-roading, but the Forester’s ground clearance and off-road angles ultimately limit its off-road capabilities.

The Forester’s 'all season' tyres – Falken Ziex Z001A A/S (225/55 R18 98V) – are fine for light to moderate off-roading but anything more difficult than that and you’ll need to get a set of more aggressive all-terrain tyres. It does have a full-sized spare onboard.

It has maximum towing capacities of 750kg (unbraked trailer), 1800kg (braked) and a maximum towball download of 180kg. GVM is 2223kg; GCM is 4023kg.

Some niggles: The driver awareness system is annoyingly over-reactive.

The Forester has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in 2024.

It has nine airbags (dual front, dual front side, dual curtain, driver’s knee, far side and front passenger seat cushion), adaptive cruise control, emergency lane-keep and centring (with departure warnings), pre-collision braking, auto emergency steering, a 360-degree view monitor system, and a driver monitoring system which includes a ‘safe stop’ feature that – if the vehicle detects that the driver is non-responsive – will bring the vehicle to a gradual, you guessed it, safe stop.

Suzuki offers an industry-average five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, along with five years of roadside assistance if the vehicle is serviced at an authorised dealer.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km, while the basic capped-price servicing costs are $329, $429, $339, $539 and $349 annually for the first five years or 100,000km, respectively. That's an average of $397.

At the time of publishing Suzuki listed 90 dealers throughout Australia.

The MY26 Subaru range is covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, five-year/75,000km capped price servicing, and 12 months roadside assistance.

A service is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs soonest. After your free “1 Month Health Check and Chat”, cost per service is $347.95 (at the 15,000km/12 month mark), $520.45 (30,000km or 24 months), $393.10 (45,000km or 36 months), $679.30 (60,000km or 48 months) and $358.20 (75,000km or 60 months). Average over the five years is $459.80.

Subaru Australia has more than 140 dealerships across the country with a decent spread over metro and regional areas. Foresters may be serviced at those dealers or by approved mechanics.