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    2026 Subaru Forester price and specs: Base price up almost $5000 for new-gen SUV

    The new-generation Subaru Forester brings a new hybrid powertrain, more tech, but also price increases. The first examples arrived locally in July.

    William Stopford

    William Stopford

    News Editor

    William Stopford

    William Stopford

    News Editor

    The new-generation Subaru Forester will be pricier than its predecessor, but fitted with more standard kit and a much more impressive hybrid powertrain.

    UPDATED 21/07/2025 9:00am: We’ve updated this article, first published on May 28, 2025, with service pricing, ANCAP safety scores, and additional imagery. Our launch review of the updated Forester is also live here.

    Subaru Australia expects strong demand for both petrol and hybrid powertrains, though it says wait times will be kept to a “reasonable minimum”.

    The new mid-size SUV comes in seven distinct variants, comprising four non-hybrid petrol grades – powered by the same 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder boxer engine as the existing model – and three hybrid variants using Subaru’s new “strong hybrid” powertrain.

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    Boasting greater power and battery capacity and reduced fuel consumption than the old Forester Hybrid, it offers a claimed range of more than 1000km between refills.

    The base price has climbed by $4800, however, the new entry-level grade – renamed simply AWD – gains features such as heated front seats, a larger 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless smartphone mirroring, larger alloy wheels, and Subaru’s driver monitoring system.

    A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is reserved for the top two hybrid grades, marking the first time a digital cluster has been available in a Forester in Australia.

    New safety equipment across the range include an emergency driving stop system, a wide-angle monocular camera, and two additional airbags.

    Pricing

    ModelPrice before on-road costs
    2026 Subaru Forester AWD$43,490
    2026 Subaru Forester AWD Premium$46,490
    2026 Subaru Forester AWD Hybrid$46,490
    2026 Subaru Forester AWD Sport$48,490
    2026 Subaru Forester AWD Touring$50,990
    2026 Subaru Forester AWD Hybrid Sport$54,990
    2026 Subaru Forester AWD Hybrid Touring$55,990

    The outgoing Forester was priced from $38,690 before on-road costs for the base 2.5i and $50,140 before on-roads for the flagship Hybrid S.

    Drivetrains and Efficiency

    There’s a new e-Boxer ‘Strong Hybrid’ powertrain available, while the carryover petrol engine has received some enhancements.

    SpecificationsSubaru Forester petrolSubaru Forester Hybrid
    Engine2.5L naturally aspirated boxer 4cyl petrol2.5L naturally aspirated boxer 4cyl petrol
    Engine power136kW121kW
    Engine torque247Nm212Nm
    Electric motor outputs90kW
    System outputs145kW
    Battery1.1kWh
    TransmissionCVT
    Drive typeAll-wheel driveAll-wheel drive
    Kerb weight1622-1651kg1717-1766kg
    Fuel economy (claimed)7.9L/100km6.2L/100km
    Fuel tank capacity63L63L
    Fuel requirement91-octane regular unleaded91-octane regular unleaded
    CO2 emissions180g/km140g/km
    Emissions standardEuro 6cEuro 6c
    Braked towing capacity1800kg1200kg

    To give you an idea of the upgrade the Forester Hybrid has received, the outgoing model utilises an electric motor producing just 12kW of power and 66Nm of torque to supplement its smaller 2.0-litre boxer four, which produces 100kW and 196Nm on its own.

    It also upgrades from a 48-litre fuel tank to a 63L one, while combined cycle fuel consumption has been reduced by 0.5L/100km compared with the outgoing hybrid.

    That means the Forester Hybrid is still thirstier than, for example, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid which consumes 4.8L/100km.

    The hybrid features Subaru’s TH2B hybrid transaxle, with a planetary gearseat and a secondary electric motor/generator to handle engine starts and battery recharging.

    A transaxle damper replaces the traditional torque converter, and unlike the CVT in the petrol Forester there are no pulleys or chains – power delivery is instead managed by the electric motor and planetary gear set.

    The petrol Forester has the same power output as its predecessor, though torque is up by 8Nm and the CVT has a broader gear ratio range with lower first and reverse gears to aid hill climbing.

    Subaru also claims it has reduced noise, vibration and harshness and improved the engine’s reliability and responsiveness.

    The Forester rides on MacPherson strut front and double-wishbone rear suspension.

    Dimensions

    The new Forester is 15mm longer and 11mm wider than its predecessor.

    DimensionsSubaru Forester
    Length4655mm
    Width1830mm
    Height1730mm
    Wheelbase2670mm
    Ground clearance220mm

    All petrol models have a spare wheel with hybrids having a tyre repair kit, however, a towbar-mounted spare wheel carrier (pictured) is optional, as is a full-size spare wheel.

    Servicing and Warranty

    Subaru Australia backs its lineup with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, along with an eight-year, 160,000km warranty for the hybrid’s battery.

    Servicing and WarrantySubaru Forester
    Warranty5 years, unlimited kilometres
    Roadside assistance12 months
    Service intervals12 months or 15,000km
    Capped-price servicing5 years
    Average annual service cost over 5 years$459.80
    Total capped-price service cost$2299

    Subaru’s capped-price service costs have been outlined below. They’re the same for petrols and Hybrids.

    ServicePrice
    1yr, 15,000km$347.95
    2yrs, 30,000km$520.45
    3yrs, 45,000km$393.10
    4yrs, 60,000km$679.30
    5yrs, 75,000km$358.20

    Safety

    The Subaru Forester wears a five-star ANCAP safety rating, based on testing conducted by Euro NCAP in 2024. This applies to both powertrains.

    CategorySubaru Forester
    Adult occupant protection83 per cent
    Child occupant protection91 per cent
    Vulnerable road user protection86 per cent
    Safety assist75 per cent

    Standard safety equipment includes:

    • 9 airbags, including:
      • Far-side (NEW)
      • Front passenger seat cushion (NEW)
    • Active torque vectoring
    • Autonomous emergency braking (forward and reverse)
    • Autonomous emergency steering
    • Adaptive cruise control
    • Blind-spot monitoring
    • Driver monitoring system
    • Emergency driving stop system (NEW)
    • Emergency lane-keep assist
    • Front side radar
    • Lane centring
    • Lane change assist
    • Lane-keep assist
    • Rear cross-traffic alert
    • Rear parking sensors
    • Surround-view camera
    • Traffic sign recognition
    • Tyre pressure monitoring
    • Wide-angle monocular camera (NEW)

    Standard Equipment

    Specification differs slightly between petrol and hybrid models.

    2025 Subaru Forester AWD equipment highlights:

    • 18-inch alloy wheels
    • Space-saver spare tyre
    • Automatic, steering-responsive LED headlights
    • Power-folding exterior mirrors
    • LED front fog lights
    • Front cornering lights
    • Ladder-style roof rails
    • ‘X-Mode’ with one drive mode
    • Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-Drive) with two modes
    • Hill descent control
    • Proximity entry with push-button start
    • 11.6-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen infotainment system
    • Wireless Apple CarPlay
    • Wireless Android Auto
    • Wireless phone charger
    • USB-A and USB-C outlets
    • 4.2-inch instrument cluster screen
    • 6-speaker sound system
    • Heated front seats
    • Cloth upholstery
    • Dual-zone climate control with rear vents
    • Leather-wrapped steering wheel
    • Silver interior stitching
    • One-touch power-folding rear seats
    • 60:40 split/fold rear seats
    • Auto-dimming rear-view mirror

    Forester AWD Premium adds:

    • Power tailgate with kick sensor
    • 8-way power driver’s seat with lumbar
    • 8-way power passenger seat
    • Satellite navigation
    • Auto-dipping passenger-side mirror
    • Power-folding exterior mirrors with memory

    Forester AWD Sport adds:

    • Dark metallic 18-inch alloy wheels
    • Power sunroof
    • ‘X-Mode’ with two drive modes
    • Black front grille with green insert
    • Green badging
    • Water-repellent synthetic leather upholstery
    • Leather-wrapped steering wheel
    • Green interior stitching

    Forester AWD Touring adds:

    • Gloss black front grille, front and rear bumper accents, side mirrors
    • Low-profile roof rails
    • Leather and suede upholstery in black or brown
    • Brown interior stitching
    • Ventilated front seats
    • 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system with subwoofer

    Forester AWD Hybrid adds (over base Forester):

    • Tyre repair kit (instead of space-saver)
    • Paddle shifters for regenerative braking

    Forester AWD Hybrid Sport adds (over Forester Sport):

    • Bronze 19-inch alloy wheels
    • Bronze exterior accents
    • Low-profile roof rails
    • Brown interior stitching
    • 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
    • 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system with subwoofer

    Forester AWD Hybrid Touring adds (over Forester Touring):

    • Dark grey machined gloss finish 19-inch alloy wheels
    • Leather and suede upholstery

    Options

    Many options are available for the Forester, so it’s worth visiting Subaru Australia’s configurator for the full list.

    Petrol Essentials Pack – Carpet ($654.71)

    • Cargo step panel (resin)
    • Cargo tray – petrol
    • Carpet mat set

    Petrol Protection Pack – Carpet ($849.13)

    • Cargo step panel (resin)
    • Cargo tray – petrol
    • Weather shields
    • Carpet mat set

    Petrol Explorer Pack – Carpet ($1840.26)

    • Cargo step panel (resin)
    • Cargo tray – petrol
    • Tow bar
    • Weather shields
    • Carpet mat set

    These packs are also available with rubber mats, which cost $770.24, $959.50, $1943.63 respectively.

    Individual accessory highlights

    • Carpet mat set: $206.75
    • Mud guards: $187.66 front, $169.48 rear
    • All-weather cargo cover: $744.25
    • Body side moulding: $518.31
    • Bootlip and bumper protector: $70.93
    • Roof cross bars: $644.60
    • Cargo barrier: $1104.75
    • Tow bar: $1137.98
    • STI front under spoiler (black or red): $1016.16
    • STI side under spoiler: $1068.28
    • STI roof spoiler: $769.05
    • STI 18-inch black alloy wheels: $2649.59

    Colours

    There are a total of 11 exterior finishes, and none come at an additional cost.

    The full colour palette comprises:

    • Crystal White pearl
    • Ice Silver metallic (excludes AWD Hybrid Sport)
    • Magnetite Grey metallic
    • Crystal Black silica
    • Crimson Red pearl (excludes AWD Sport)
    • Brilliant Bronze metallic (excludes AWD Sport and AWD Hybrid Sport)
    • Daybreak Blue pearl (excludes AWD Sport and AWD Hybrid Sport)
    • Sapphire Blue pearl (excludes AWD Sport)
    • Cashmere Gold Opal (excludes AWD Sport)
    • Autumn Green metallic
    • River Rock pearl

    Interior colours differ across the range.

    AWD, AWD Premium and AWD Hybrid variants come with a choice of either black or grey/platinum cloth upholstery.

    AWD Sport and AWD Hybrid Sport grades exclusively offer water-repellant grey/black upholstery.

    AWD Touring and AWD Hybrid Touring grades, which feature leather and Ultrasuede upholstery, offer a choice of either black or brown/black colourways.

    MORE: Everything Subaru Forester

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    William Stopford

    William Stopford

    News Editor

    William Stopford

    News Editor

    William Stopford is an automotive journalist based in Brisbane, Australia. William is a Business/Journalism graduate from the Queensland University of Technology who loves to travel, briefly lived in the US, and has a particular interest in the American car industry.

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