2019 Subaru Forester (Gen 5)

The new sixth-generation Subaru Forester hybrid is here to conquer a wilderness near you

Fresh face, more underbody armour and many, many off-road systems. Anyone for an impromptu adventure?

The Subaru Forester: practical, dependable and often boringly good at what it does. And now there’s an all-new sixth gen, featuring a fresh exterior, lightly swept interior and likely still enough off-road talent to match most mountain goats.

That’ll be thanks to the naturally aspirated, mild-hybrid boxer four-pot and Lineatronic transmission. No specific outputs are given, but we reckon it’ll continue to bobble close to its former’s 148bhp and 143lb ft. Not hugely impressive, but this is a Subaru at the end of the day. That means the symmetrical and nigh invincible all-wheel drive system should add at least an invisible 50bhp on sketchier roads.

And said invisible powers will be further supported by the various off-road systems, which include improved versions of the ‘X’ driving mode and hill descent control. With a maximum ground clearance of 220mm and tow load of 1,870kg - both commendable figures in its class - yer average mountain goat would almost certainly struggle in a sprint race against this thing.

Aesthetically, the new Forster gains a boxier front with a thin light bar now connecting both lamps, a glossy new grille with extra components and remodelled fog lights. It’s a similar approach at the other end, where another light bar sits beneath a small, squarish wing. The rest of the exterior still looks typically Subaru though: chunky tyres, lots of rugged underbody cladding and creases right across the side profile. Very dramatic.

 

Subaru's just-unveiled 2025 Forester Hybrid sports next-gen Strong Hybrid system​


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Subaru has unveiled the 2025 Forester Hybrid at the Chicago Auto Show. This is the first time that the automaker has added a hybrid-electric powertrain to the Forester. It will be the first North American introduction of Subaru's new Strong Hybrid powertrain.

The Forester Hybrid uses a newly-developed 2.5-liter boxer (opposed piston) engine specifically designed for hybrid, through a combination Atkinson and Miller cycle for efficiency. Its transaxle pairs to two motors, one as a regenerative generator and the other a traction motor for propulsion. Total power output is 194 horsepower (142.7 kW). As with most Subaru models, all-wheel drive is standard.
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