This wasn’t even in the ‘Deep Snow/Mud’ mode. Photo: James Coleman.
“Own the road. Conquer the wild. The next-generation Subaru Forester has arrived.” So declares the press material for the 2026 Subaru Forester.
Every SUV maker says this, of course. The difference is that Subaru owners actually believe it. Talk to one and you’ll soon hear about “symmetrical all-wheel drive”, “X-Mode”, and that time they drove straight up Mount Everest – without chains.
Well, here’s a new one for the campfire: this new Forester has the exact ground clearance as a Toyota LandCruiser Prado – 220 mm versus the Prado’s 210-221 mm. Alpine resorts everywhere, consider yourselves warned.
This year marks 25 years of the Forester in Australia, and the other headline act for this sixth generation is its new hybrid drivetrain. And you can forget Subaru’s previous mediocre “mild-hybrid” effort, which cost $4000 extra for a 5 kW bump and a 0.7 L/100km improvement. This time, Subaru went to the experts.
Toyota owns 20 per cent of Subaru, making it easy for Subaru to request the electric bits from the RAV4 Hybrid and pair them with its own 2.5-litre boxer engine. The result isn’t quite as efficient as Toyota’s – the RAV4 averages 4.8 L/100 km, where the best I managed in the Forester was 6.2 on the highway.
But this is a Subaru, with a reputation to live up to.
Accordingly, it keeps the proper mechanical driveline between the axles and the usual X-Modes: ‘Normal’, ‘Snow/Dirt’, and ‘Deep Snow/Mud’. And have we mentioned the Prado-matching clearance already?
It certainly looks the part, although I’m not sure about the bronze trim on this mid-spec Sport model. A part of me misses the simple, boxy Foresters of old; this one is busier and fussier.
Inside, space is excellent and visibility is among the best in any modern car. But there’s a lot of plastic and faux leather, and the seats – despite their brown piping and grey inserts – are basically slabs of vinyl. The infotainment graphics are dated, and the 360-degree camera, while handy for seeing what’s in the next hemisphere, is so wide-angle it struggles to show what’s right in front of you.
Still, credit where it’s due: Subaru has kept fixed digital shortcut buttons for things like AC, phone connectivity and lane-keeping, and even given the camera its own physical button. Once you learn the steering-wheel controls, everything there is simple enough to use on the move.
The screen is showing its age – even if it’s still easy enough to find everything. Photo: James Coleman.
What is truly annoying is the driver-monitoring system. Glance at a side street for a heartbeat too long and you’ll be whacked with a piercing beep and a flashing “Look at the road ahead” message.
You’re obviously not buying a Forester for thrills, but the extra shove from the two electric motors is welcome. The steering is vague and the brake pedal a little spongy, but body roll is also impressively restrained for something with the ground clearance of a Prado.
Which brings us to the real test.
I was nervous about this part. In a recent CarExpert.com.au comparison, mid-range AWD SUVs were put through their off-road paces – and the Forester … well, floundered. It struggled on metal rollers and then failed entirely on a muddy uphill climb, prompting reviewer Paul Maric to use the dreaded word: “disappointed”.
My own test in the ACT’s Cotter Reserve might not have been as arduous or scientific, but – with ‘Snow/Dirt’ activated – it handled everything I’d previously attempted in a Prado: a sandy creek crossing, a steep rocky ascent, deep ruts and big mounds.
Subaru has done a stellar job of making the hill-descent control feel very natural, too. Ever feel like the car’s getting away from you down a hill, and you simply tap the brakes, and it won’t let you get that fast again. It’s like having your own brake butler: “Yes, sir, of course, sir, more braking right away, sir.”
It’s just a pity that butler spends the rest of the time yelling at you for looking out the window.
2026 Subaru Forester Sport costs $48,490, compared to $54,990 for the Hybrid version. Photo: James Coleman.
2026 Subaru Forester Hybrid Sport
- $54,990 (plus driveaway costs)
- 2.5-litre ‘boxer’ four-cylinder petrol, two electric motors
- 121 kW / 212 Nm (plus 90 kW / 276 Nm from the electric motors)
- All-wheel drive (AWD), 8-speed automatic
- 6.2L/100km claimed fuel consumption, 91 RON
- 1200 kg braked towing capacity
- 1766 kg.
Thanks to Subaru Australia for providing this car for testing. Region has no commercial arrangement with Subaru Australia.
