2025 SUBARU FORESTER HYBRID BOOSTS BOTH POWER AND GAS MILEAGE

The days of being forced to live with less-than-ideal gas mileage to score the benefits of a Subaru are fading quickly, as the Japanese manufacturer is finally electrifying its most popular SUV offerings. The breadwinner of the family, the Subaru Crosstrek, came first; now, it's the Forester's turn.

While the Crosstrek nameplate has toyed with electrification before, the addition of the Forester Hybrid to the ranks of one of the best small SUVs on sale marks a first for the Shibuya-based automaker. And the numbers don't lie: the electric motor-augmented Forester is both more powerful and significantly more efficient than the pure internal-combustion version.

The basic powertrain formula is shared with the Crosstrek: 2.5 liters of flat-four displacement with a 1.1-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and electric motor tacked on, bumping the maximum power on the Forester Hybrid to 194 hp. (Torque figures have yet to be revealed.) A mechanical connection between the front and rear wheels also stays, to ensure the car packs Subaru's trademark symmetrical all-wheel-drive system.

Power is transferred to all four wheels through a continuously variable transmission that can be "manually" shifted through six speeds. Plus, the electric motor can reportedly power an EV drive mode in the Crosstrek Hybrid — so given that it and the Forester Hybrid appear to have identical powertrains, we suspect the latter will be able to creep around for short bursts on electricity alone.

The biggest news from the announcement comes in the form of government fuel economy estimates. The launch of the Crosstrek Hybrid happened before the Environmental Protection Agency had finalized its numbers, but the Forester Hybrid comes with an official miles-per-gallon rating of 35 mpg city, 34 mpg highway, and 35 mpg combined. That's an increase in efficiency of as much as 40% when compared with the ICE versions, and enables the Hybrid to deliver a range of 581 miles per tank. The gas-only iteration of the Forester manages 32 mpg on the highway and just 25 mpg in the city, for comparison.

The Forester is largely unchanged beyond the addition of a hybrid powertrain. Ground clearance is stuck at 8.7 inches — if you want more, the non-hybrid 2026 Forester Wilderness may be for you instead — while a suite of electronic features like an 11.6-inch infotainment display and EyeSight driver assistance come standard. Just like the Crosstrek Hybrid, the Forester will be offered in an exclusive color known as Daybreak Blue Pearl, and a contrasting Crystal Black silica roof will be offered on all colors.

Perhaps the best part? Going hybrid will require a fairly small extra expenditure over the straight-ICE version. The 2026 Forester Hybrid will be offered in Premium, Sport, Limited and Touring trims when it goes on sale this trim, with the gas-electric powertrain adding between $1700 and $3385 to the tab, depending on trim. The most affordable version, the Forester Hybrid Premium, clocks in at $36,415 including destination.

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2025-02-06T17:21:39Z