- Subaru has launched two major updates to its Forester range, including a new trim and powertrain.
- The Forester Hybrid provides 35 mpg combined, compared to 29 mpg for the standard model.
- The new Wilderness trim offers 9.3 inches of ground clearance and an upgraded transmission cooler.
For years, other countries have had access to the Subaru Forester Hybrid but now, the US market does too. Coming to dealers this spring, the new Forester Hybrid starts at $34,995 and should offer better fuel economy than ever before. In addition, Subaru unveiled the already leaked Forester Wilderness trim, which won’t make it to dealers until this fall.
For years, Subaru has been selling a hybrid version of the Forester in other markets, but American buyers were left out of the equation. That finally changes this spring, as the new Forester Hybrid makes its way to US dealerships. With a starting price of $34,995, it promises improved fuel efficiency without a major price hike. And in addition to the hybrid, Subaru also officially unveiled the Forester Wilderness trim—though thanks to leaks, it wasn’t exactly a surprise. That model, however, won’t be hitting dealers until this fall.
First and foremost, the new Forester Hybrid seems like a genuine upgrade at a reasonable price. It comes with a 2.5-liter flat four-cylinder that combines with a tiny 1.1-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and electric motor for a combined 194 horsepower.
Read: Subaru Recalls 2025 Forester Over Faulty Wheels
That’s not much of an improvement over the standard Forester with its 180 hp (134 kW) and it could feel slower since it’s lugging around a battery, but on-road performance hasn’t been important to the Forester line for decades. A Lineartronic CVT continues to be the only transmission available, and of course, all-wheel drive is standard.
The highlight is fuel efficiency, and the Forester Hybrid marks a significant improvement over the standard model. It achieves up to 35 mpg in the city, 34 on the highway, and 35 combined, according to Subaru. In comparison, the non-hybrid delivers 26 mpg city, 33 highway, and just 29 combined—meaning a 40 percent improvement in the city and 25 percent on open roads for the Hybrid. Best of all, all of that additional fuel economy won’t cost an arm or a leg either.
2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid
Pricing for the new Forester starts at $36,415 including destination. At that price point, it comes standard with 18-inch wheels, an 11.6-inch infotainment system, a digital gauge cluster, and integrated navigation. Subaru offers four available trims topping out with the $43,115 Touring trim. It comes standard with 19-inch wheels, a premium audio system, and exclusive two-tone paint options. The new Forester Hybrid arrives at dealers this spring.
The New Forester Wilderness
Subaru also unwrapped the already leaked Wilderness trim and it’s exactly what we expected. The Wilderness is meant to be the off-road-ready version of the Forester. As such, it gets 9.3 inches of ground clearance, 17-inch wheels, and all-terrain tires.
That’s up from 9.2 inches, so not too much to get excited about there. At the same time, another upgrade, a new transmission cooler enables the Wilderness to tow up to 3,500 pounds which is a nice surprise.
Subaru also says that “a rear differential temperature sensor offers more confidence on the trails.” It seems the benefit there is that one can stop and wait while their differential cools rather than cooking it beyond functionality.
In any case, Subaru hasn’t announced pricing for the new Forester Wilderness just yet but says to expect it in the fall of this year. It continues to use the same 180-hp engine and comes with a CVT only.
