2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid Up Close: More of a Good Thing

This morning at the 2025 Chicago Auto Show, Subaru unveiled the 2025 Forester Hybrid compact SUV. Since the redesigned Forester debuted at the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show, we’ve known a hybrid version would join the lineup. We traveled to Los Angeles to check out the new Forester Hybrid ahead of its debut (per Cars.com’s ethics policy, we pay for all travel and lodging at such manufacturer-sponsored events), and what we found is a compact SUV that should offer improved efficiency without sacrificing much of what makes the Forester a solid choice in a crowded class of vehicles — and it might end up being the better choice.

Related: More 2025 Chicago Auto Show Coverage

Updated Appearance

While the Forester Hybrid shares the same shape as the non-hybrid Forester, one subtle styling difference can inform observers of its hybrid powertrain: an available black contrast roof on the hybrid’s top Touring trim. Otherwise, you’ll have to get close enough to the SUV to see its “Hybrid” badging on the front fenders or liftgate to spot the difference. In person, the contrast roof looks great and gives the Forester Hybrid a more upscale appearance, but even without it, the Forester Hybrid is just as stylish (or not, depending on your tastes) as the gas-only Forester.

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New Digital Instrument Panel Standard

Inside the 2025 Forester Hybrid, one of the few changes — and by far the most significant — is the addition of a standard digital instrument panel. The panel looks suitably modern and includes useful, hybrid-specific information. Synthetic leather upholstery is available on all but top Touring trim, which uses real leather upholstery for a more upscale feel. Per Subaru’s representatives, cargo space on the Forester Hybrid is nearly unchanged save for the elimination of a small cubby inside the cargo area, and the brand’s cargo measurements match, regardless of powertrain (save for the base, non-hybrid Forester, which Subaru says has slightly more space). We can’t wait to get our hands on the new hybrid and see if it matches our own cargo measurements.

Gotta Wait to Drive It

We’ve saved the details of the new hybrid powertrain for last because this was an entirely static look, so we can’t tell you how the new hybrid drives. It should be a little quicker than the gas model, as it has a total of 194 horsepower to the gas model’s 180, as well as more responsive from a stop. Subaru also estimates that the hybrid will be significantly more efficient, estimating fuel economy at 35/34/35 mpg city/highway/combined, up from the gas model’s EPA-rated 26/33/29 mpg.

The Forester Hybrid also retains mechanical all-wheel drive (many hybrid AWD systems use an electric motor to power one axle), so the Forester Hybrid ought to retain similar capabilities off the pavement or in slippery conditions — but, again, we can’t know until we drive it.

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Good Value?

Another thing we can’t know at this time is whether or not the Forester Hybrid is a good value relative to the gas-only Forester or other hybrids in the segment. Subaru says pricing will be released closer to when the Forester Hybrid goes on sale in the spring. On paper, at least, the Forester Hybrid appears to be an upgrade, but we’ll know more once we know how much it costs and how it performs when we get behind the wheel.

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