2026 Subaru Forester: Early Australian details for petrol, hybrid RAV4 rival

Apr 04, 2025 by admin

The sixth-generation Subaru Forester has been detailed for the Australian market, ahead of its local release later this year, and the big news is there will be multiple variants available with all-new Toyota-derived hybrid powertrain tech.

Making its official Australian public debut in Melbourne this weekend, the new Forester has been on sale in overseas markets including North America since the second quarter of 2024.

The all-new mid-size SUV will make its way to Australia in seven distinct variants, comprising four non-hybrid petrol grades – powered by the same 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder boxer engine as the existing model – and three hybrid variants using Subaru’s new “strong hybrid” powertrain.

Local pricing for the updated Forester is yet to be announced, but a detailed list of standard features and some mechanical specifications are now available.

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While the petrol engines are unchanged, the new Forester’s headline upgrade is its hybrid powertrain, much like the Crosstrek S:HEV small SUV. While a hybrid version was available with the outgoing model, the new system boasts increased power outputs and battery capacity, culminating in a claimed range of more than 1000km between refills.

Both powertrains still send power through a Lineartronic ‘eight-speed’ continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) to all four wheels using Subaru’s longstanding ‘symmetrical’ all-wheel drive system, separating it from the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.

The Forester is still based on the Subaru Global Platform, but rigidity is claimed to have been improved by 10 per cent. Inside, the latest in Subaru’s infotainment technology has been fitted, in the form of an 11.6-inch portrait touchscreen display.

A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster will be reserved for the top two hybrid grades, marking the first time a digital cluster has been available in a Forester in Australia. Previous models were limited to a small digital information panel between analogue gauges.

Subaru says full specifications and pricing will be announced closer to the model’s launch later this year as a 2026 model. Those interested in the new Forester can now register their interest here.

Pricing

Local pricing for the fresh Forester range is yet to be confirmed, though we can look to the outgoing model and overseas markets for an idea.

In Australia, the fifth-generation Forester’s petrol range starts at $38,690 before on-roads for the base 2.5i and tops out at $47,140 before on-roads for the 2.5i-S – excluding the STI Sport special edition priced at $48,640 before on-roads.

There are two hybrids available, the Hybrid L and Hybrid S, which cost $44,090 and $50,140 before on-roads respectively.

In the US, the base Forester is priced at US$29,995 (around A$47,900), while the cheapest Premium Hybrid costs US$34,995 (around $55,900), putting them roughly on par with US-market RAV4s.

While we can’t compare previous-generation Forester pricing in the US, we can look to other Subaru models for an estimate. The Crosstrek, for example, starts at US$25,810 (around A$41,200) in North America, while the Australian equivalent costs US$35,490 before on-roads – a difference of roughly $6000 once converted.

If Subaru Australia follows suit, the MY26 Forester could start at around $41,000 before on-roads here, and the hybrid could start at around $49,000. For context, a base all-wheel drive Toyota RAV4 GX eFour costs $45,260 before on-roads.

Drivetrains and Efficiency

Though the 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder boxer engine from the previous Forester has been carried over, Subaru Australia has yet to confirm local outputs for any powertrain.

Specifications	Subaru Forester petrol	Subaru Forester Hybrid
Engine	2.5L naturally aspirated boxer 4cyl petrol	2.5L naturally aspirated boxer 4cyl petrol
Engine outputs	TBC	TBC
Electric motor outputs	–	88kW
System outputs	–	TBC
Battery	–	1.1kWh
Transmission	CVT	CVT
Drive type	All-wheel drive	All-wheel drive
Kerb weight	TBC	TBC
Fuel economy (claimed)	TBC	TBC
Fuel tank capacity	TBC	TBC
Fuel requirement	TBC	TBC
CO2 emissions	TBC	TBC

To give you an idea of the upgrade the Forester Hybrid has received, the outgoing model utilises an electric motor producing just 12kW of power and 66Nm of torque to supplement its smaller 2.0-litre boxer four, which produces 100kW and 196Nm on its own.

The 2.5-litre engine in the outgoing Forester produces 136kW/239Nm in Australia. Subaru USA quotes outputs of 180hp (134kW) and 178lb-ft (241Nm) for its updated petrol Forester and a total system power output of 194hp (145kW) for the hybrid.

Dimensions

Subaru Australia hasn’t outlined dimensions for the new Forester, but we can look to overseas models for some measurements.

Dimensions	Subaru Forester
Length	4655mm (+15mm)
Width	1828mm (+13mm)
Height	1730mm
Wheelbase	2670mm
Ground clearance	220mm

Length, width, height, and wheelbase measurements are for Foresters delivered in the North American market, and the difference is compared to current Foresters delivered locally.

Servicing and Warranty

Subaru Australia backs its lineup with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, along with an eight-year, 160,000km warranty for the high-voltage batteries of its electric and hybrid vehicles.

Servicing information for the updated Forester has yet to be detailed.

Safety

The updated Subaru Forester is yet to receive an ANCAP safety rating, but it was awarded five stars by sister organisation Euro NCAP.

Category	Subaru Forester (Euro NCAP)
Adult occupant protection	83 per cent
Child occupant protection	89 per cent
Vulnerable road user protection	86 per cent
Safety assist	72 per cent

Standard safety equipment includes:

9 airbags, including:
- Far-side (NEW)
- Front passenger seat cushion (NEW)
Surround-view camera
Autonomous emergency braking with reverse function
Driver monitoring system
Front-side sensor
Subaru EyeSight
- Wide-angle monocular camera (NEW)
- Emergency driving stop system (NEW)

Standard Equipment

While there will be seven distinct grades of the new Forester, there will be four trim levels and the three hybrids will share a lot of the same standard equipment as their petrol-only equivalents.