The styling has been cleaned up with a less polarizing face and a neater, boxier aesthetic.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
The first-generation Subaru Forester came out in 1997, around the same time as the Honda CR-V. Along with the Toyota RAV4, they were the original compact crossovers, sparking a worldwide migration away from sedans and small cars.
Subaru, a brand that has long catered to off-road enthusiasts thanks to standard all-wheel drive in its vehicles, anchored its late 1990s marketing campaigns on the Forester’s off-road capability, featuring the slogan “sport utility tough, car easy.” TV Commercials featured Paul Hogan as Crocodile Dundee, a gritty, weathered bushman capable of surviving the unforgiving badlands of the Australian outback with little more than an oversized hunting knife and his laidback Australian swagger.
As ruggedized utility vehicles soar in popularity, brands such as Honda have been releasing toughened versions of their standard vehicles at a quick pace. The CR-V is the latest to get the company’s “Trailsport” treatment that adds slightly chunkier tires and badging.
Toyota introduced the forest-themed Woodland edition of the RAV4 a couple of years ago and is now expanding it into its own sub-brand. The off-road trend isn’t going anywhere and Subaru has been at it the longest. Its vehicles have a reputation for being able to take abuse or handling an errant snowstorm with little fuss.
The top-trim Forester looks more upscale, but Subaru hasn’t forgotten its die-hard fans, maintaining an appropriate amount of rugged-looking, thick plastic body-cladding.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
The trunk on the Forester still has a plastic mat.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
All of this looks to be working in Subaru’s favour, with March 2025 marking the single best month of sales the company has ever had in Canada and the United States. The Forester can take some of the credit, posting its best all-time sales month in March as well.
Where Subaru has been lacking is in the fuel efficiency of its vehicles. You can blame the standard all-wheel drive, but the brand has offered Canadians little choice in electrified vehicles.
It sold a plug-in hybrid version of the Crosstrek in limited numbers from 2019 to 2023 and sells hybrids in other markets under its “e-boxer” brand. But a bigger push toward offering more electrified vehicles changes with the arrival of the 2025 Forester Hybrid. Hybrid versions of the Crosstrek and Outback are also scheduled for 2026.
Subaru’s system uses a two-litre boxer four-cylinder mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that’s been modified with an electric motor drawing power from a small battery pack in the back.
The computers efficiently manage coasting and regen functions, or you can use paddle shifters behind the steering wheel to select the amount of regenerative braking you want when releasing the gas pedal. Like most hybrids, there is no one-pedal drive mode.
Subaru’s hybrid system uses a two-litre boxer four-cylinder mated to a continuously variable transmission that’s been modified with an electric motor.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
There’s only a 14 horsepower jump in power, but a sizeable gain in fuel efficiency with Subaru stating it’s up to 40 per cent better than the non-hybrid. NRCan gives the hybrid a combined rating of 6.9 litres per 100 kilometres versus 8.3 for the regular one.
The system is seamless and works in the background, although it’s not as quiet as the Honda or as powerful as the Toyota. It doesn’t feel any more powerful than the regular Forester either, likely owing to its increased weight from the hybrid components. The Forester, however, maintains its mechanical all-wheel drive system and is still one of the best choices for unpaved roads.
While Subaru has always had a bit of a rough-and-tumble image, this new Forester, especially in the hybrid guise, is shedding some of that and moving more upscale. The hybrid is only available on the top trim level, which costs $50,884 after taxes, but it has all the option boxes checked off, including Subaru’s first application of a fully digital gauge cluster.
The new Forester comes with Subaru’s first application of a fully digital gauge cluster.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
It also gets great seats trimmed with leather and microsuede that continues into the doors and greater use of soft-touch surfaces throughout. The styling has been cleaned up with a less polarizing face and a neater, boxier aesthetic. But Subaru hasn’t forgotten its die-hard fans, maintaining an appropriate amount of rugged-looking, thick plastic body-cladding.
The Forester has great steering and a comfortable ride, and is quieter at speed than its predecessor. The gas engine mostly stays quiet unless you travel past 50 per cent throttle and wake it up. The best part about this Forester, as always, is that balance between ride and handling and the Subaru’s signature long-travel suspension that soaks up the lumps and bumps of poorly maintained roads.
While the Subaru can’t quite match the efficiency and refinement of the Honda, it’s a better product when it comes to capability off the beaten path. The new CR-V Trailsport is nice, but it’s a little more than a mild appearance package, same with the RAV4 Woodland.
The new Forester is a nice upgrade over the old one and the addition of the hybrid trim is a big boon to customers looking for better fuel economy and lower emissions, but who don’t want to lose the ruggedness of their Subarus. And while there’s less of that Crocodile Dundee grit in this one, the body cladding still comes standard.
The rear seats on the new Subaru Forester. The seats are trimmed with leather and microsuede that continues into the doors.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
Tech specs
2025 Subaru Forester e-boxer Hybrid Premier
- Price: $50,884 including freight and fees plus tax
- Engine: Two-litre boxer four-cylinder plus electric motor
- Transmission / drive: CVT / all-wheel drive
- Curb weight: 1790 kilograms
- Fuel consumption (litres per 100 kilometres): 6.8 city; 7 highway; 6.9 combined
- Alternatives: Toyota RAV4 hybrid, Honda CR-V hybrid, Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, Ford Escape Hybrid
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