Subaru revealed the more efficient, 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid. It makes use of a 2.5-liter flat-four hybrid powertrain to deliver 35 combined MPG.
Subaru revealed the 2025 Forester Hybrid at the 2025 Chicago Auto Show. It starts with the new for 2025, sixth-generation platform for this small, two-row crossover SUV.
The 2025 Forester kicked off the sixth-generation model last year. Subaru stiffened the platform, updated the styling, and made sure modern technology lied inside. But the powertrain largely carried on as before, with a 2.5-liter flat-four engine churning out 180 horsepower and 178 lb.-ft of torque. It connects to a CVT (continuously variable transmission) and then sends power to all four wheels.
I reviewed the new Forester last fall and found it stayed true to its very practical, no-nonsense roots. Yet it looked more fashionable and provided easy to use tech.
2025 Hybrid
The first Forester hybrid Subaru will sell in North America makes use of the technological partnership the brand has with Toyota. But Subaru takes a distinctly different path in the way it uses the technology.
It also starts with the same fundamentals as the base Forester, a 2.5-liter flat-four engine. But it uses the Atkinson/Miller combustion cycle to improve efficiency. As a result, the engine makes less power than its non-hybrid counterpart. But it then pairs with an electric generator motor and traction motor to make a total system 194 horsepower.
Subaru does not release a peak torque number, but Bill Stokes, the Car Line Planning Manager for the Subaru Forester, assures me it’s higher than the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) counterpart, which I would expect. By the way, a lithium-ion battery pack supplies the engine for the aforementioned electric motor torque.
Unlike Toyota, Subaru houses all the motors within the CVT and continues to use a mechanical all-wheel-drive system, which delivers power to all four wheel all the time. Toyota often bolts an electric motor directly to the rear axle. Admittedly, Subaru’s choice is not the most efficient way to go, but this maintains familiar Forester driving feel and capability.
Hybrid fuel economy
Of course, fuel economy remains the big motivator for going hybrid. And Subaru claims a 25 percent improvement in combined fuel economy when compared to the standard ICE variant. You get 35 miles per gallon in the city, 34 miles per gallon on the highway, 35 combined. For comparison, the 2025 Subaru Forester Touring gets 25/32/28 (city/highway/combined) MPG.
Hybrid trims and price
Coming middle of 2025, you will see four different trims of Forester hybrid at the Subaru dealer: Premium Hybrid, Sport Hybrid, Limited Hybrid, and Touring Hybrid. This compares to five trims of the standard Forester, which includes a base trim in addition to matching the hybrid trims.
Price fluctuates from trim to trim. And, interestingly, narrows significantly once you get to the Touring level. With that in mind, it’s not precisely apples to apples between the standard and hybrid trims. For example, the Premium hybrid gets a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, the standard Premium does not.
It breaks down like this, Base, 31,415 (including $1420 destination charge), no hybrid version. Premium, $33,730, verses $36,415 for the Premium Hybrid, a $2685 difference. Sport, $36230 verses $39,415 for the Sport Hybrid, a $3185 difference. Limited, $37830 verses $40,830 for the Limited Hybrid, a $3000 difference. And finally, the Touring, $41,715 verses $43,115 for the Touring Hybrid, a much smaller difference of $1400.
Conclusion
More efficient hybrids exist. But I respect that Subaru kept its symmetrical all-wheel-drive system alive and well in its hybrid variants of Forester. It makes the transition from standard to hybrid power all the easier for fans of the brand. It also paves the way to normalize hybrid power in future Subies. I imagine most will welcome the savings at the pump that come with it
