Although Subaru has just revealed the new-generation Forester over in the United States, the Japanese carmaker’s local division is sticking with the outgoing model for now and has given it some minor tweaks for the 2024 model year.

    The 2024 Subaru Forester is set to arrive in Australia early next year. The company has now also reopened orders for the previously sold-out Forester Hybrid.

    Subaru Australia says there is “limited MY23 Forester stock” still available at dealers.

    All 2024 Subaru Forester models have had a price increase of $800. This means the range now starts at $38,690 before on-roads for the 2.5i, and extends to $50,140 before on-roads for the Hybrid S.

    The entire range now goes without a CD player, with the media icon on the infotainment screen removed to reflect this change.

    The rear spoiler and shark-fin antenna have been changed from body colour to Crystal Black Silica, while all models now come standard with LED front fog lights.

    The 2.5i, 2.5i-L and 2.5i Premium previously had halogen units.

    The Forester 2.5i Premium’s front fog light surrounding accents have been changed from a painted dark metal colour to all resin, and the sports pedals have been removed from the 2.5i Premium, 2.5i Sport, 2.5i-S and Hybrid S.

    As recently reported, Subaru Australia hasn’t provided a firm date for when to expect the new-generation Forester in Australia.

    “We are incredibly excited about the global reveal of the next generation Subaru Forester and we look forward to sharing more information about this model for the Australian market in due course,” said a Subaru Australia spokesperson.

    Pricing

    • 2024 Subaru Forester 2.5i: $38,690 (+$800)
    • 2024 Subaru Forester 2.5i-L: $41,090 (+$800)
    • 2024 Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium: $43,890 (+$800)
    • 2024 Subaru Forester Hybrid L: $44,090 (+$800)
    • 2024 Subaru Forester 2.5i Sport: $45,640 (+$800)
    • 2024 Subaru Forester 2.5i-S: $47,140 (+$800)
    • 2024 Subaru Forester Hybrid S: $50,140 (+$800)

    All prices are before on-road costs

    Powertrains

    Non-hybrid variants of the 2024 Subaru Forester are powered by a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder flat-four engine producing 136kW of power and 239Nm of torque.

    This is mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with drive sent through an all-wheel drive system.

    Hybrid variants of the 2024 Subaru Forester on the other hand are powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 100kW and 196Nm, mated with an electric motor producing 12kW and 66Nm and a lithium-ion battery pack.

    Drive is also sent through a CVT to an all-wheel drive system.

    Efficiency

    The 2024 Subaru Forester is claimed to consume 7.4 litres per 100km on the combined cycle, or 6.7 litres per 100km in the hybrid.

    All Foresters can run on 91 RON regular unleaded petrol. The regular petrol models have a 63-litre fuel tank while the hybrid has a 48-litre tank.

    Dimensions

    The 2024 Subaru Forester measures in at 4640mm long, 1815mm wide, and 1730mm tall with a 2670mm wheelbase.

    Boot space with the rear seats upright is 498 litres in petrol an 509 litres in the hybrid variants.

    This expands to 1779 litres in the hybrid variants, while that figure is 1768 litres in all regular petrol models except for the Sport and 2.5i-S where it’s 1740 litres.

    Braked towing capacity is 1800kg on petrol models and 1200kg on hybrid variants.

    Servicing and Warranty

    The 2024 Subaru Forester is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, plus an eight-year and 160,000km warranty for the Hybrid’s lithium-ion battery.

    Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 12,500km, whichever comes first. Subaru also offers three- and five-year servicing plans.

    For non-hybrid models they cost $1387.25 and $2674.64, respectively, while the Hybrid’s cost $1398.62 and $2693.61.

    Safety

    The Subaru Forester earned a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2019, based on scores of 94 per cent for adult occupant protection, 86 per cent for child occupant protection, 80 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 78 per cent for safety assist.

    All 2024 Subaru Forester models receive the following safety equipment:

    • Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
    • Blind-spot monitoring
    • Rear cross-traffic alert
    • Lane departure warning
    • Lane-keep assist
    • Lane centring
    • Autonomous emergency steering
    • Adaptive cruise control
    • Reverse camera with washer
    • Rear parking sensors

    All bar the base 2.5i come standard with a facial recognition camera to detect driver drowsiness or distraction, as well as rear AEB and front and side cameras.

    Standard Equipment

    The 2024 Subaru Forester 2.5i comes standard with the following:

    • 17-inch alloy wheels
    • Automatic, active cornering LED headlights
    • LED front fog lights (NEW)
    • Rain-sensing wipers
    • 6.3-inch multi-function display
    • 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
    • Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
    • DAB+ digital radio
    • Six-speaker sound system
    • Dual-zone climate control
    • Paddle shifters
    • Leather-wrapped gear selector
    • Leather-wrapped steering wheel
    • Black or Platinum/Black fabric upholstery

    The 2.5i-L and Hybrid L add the following:

    • Adaptive high-beam
    • Rear AEB
    • Driver monitoring system
    • Front and side cameras
    • Heated front seats
    • Black premium cloth upholstery (Hybrid L only)

    The 2.5i Premium adds:

    • 18-inch alloy wheels
    • Power tailgate
    • Satellite navigation
    • Black or Platinum/Black premium cloth upholstery
    • Eight-way power front seats with driver’s memory

    The 2.5i Sport adds:

    • Sunroof
    • Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
    • Orange and gunmetal interior highlights
    • Grey/Black water-repellent cloth upholstery

    The 2.5i-S and Hybrid S adds:

    • Eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system
    • Black leather upholstery
    • Platinum/black leather upholstery (2.5i-S only)

    Colours

    The 2024 Subaru Forester is available in the following exterior paint colours, depending on the variant:

    • Crystal White Pearl
    • Ice Silver Metallic
    • Brilliant Bronze Metallic
    • Crimson Red Pearl
    • Autumn Green Metallic
    • Horizon Blue Pearl
    • Cascade Green Silica
    • Magnetite Grey Metallic
    • Crystal Black Silica
    • Sapphire Blue Pearl

    All colours are no-cost options.

    MORE: Everything Subaru Forester
    MORE: Compare Subaru Forester models
    MORE: Subaru Forester 2.5i-S AWD review

    Jack Quick

    Jack Quick is an automotive journalist based in Melbourne. Jack studied journalism and photography at Deakin University in Burwood, and previously represented the university in dance nationally. In his spare time, he loves to pump Charli XCX and play a bit of Grand Theft Auto. He’s also the proud owner of a blue, manual 2020 Suzuki Jimny.

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