Video: 2025 Subaru Forester Up Close: Bolder Styling, Bigger Screen

Dimensionally, the new Subaru Forester is pretty much the same as the previous one. You do get this new grill. It's blacked out with some new badging as well. You still get 8.7 inches of ground clearance, which isn't nothing, especially in this class. And as you come around the side, you get these trapezoidal wheel arch openings. We've seen them on the WRX and the Crosstrek already. Looks a little bit more aggressive. Coming along the sides here, I'm getting a lot of sort of Ascent, just shrunken down. And then in the back, there are new taillight designs and this element along the lift gate that unifies them, brings it together, gives it sort of a wider look. And also of note, when you get the power lift gate option with the Forester, new for 2025 is a hands-free option. It's kick-activated, so you might look a little silly opening it, but very welcome feature. But the big changes are inside, so let's check those out. The interior of the new Forester is still very Subaru. It doesn't feel a lot different from previous generations. New for this generation is the availability of this 11.6-inch touchscreen display. It's not on all trims. The base model still gets the dual-screen setup from the previous generation. But this is definitely an upgrade over that. It does come with wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto. It's not perfect, but you know, we'll take what we can get when it comes to infotainment upgrades. Everything else feels nice, a little bit rugged, like a Subaru, still have great visibility. That was always one of the Forester's strong suits. Still have this nice little window over here to help you see around the A pillar. Great rear visibility as well. There is a roof-mounted seatbelt for middle passengers. So if you're carrying a lotta people, that could be a problem. But let's check out the back and see if Subaru hasn't messed that up either. And yeah, the back seat, just like the front, remains very Subaru, very comfortable, a little bit rugged. I have a lotta leg room, a lot of head room, even with the sun roof here. That definitely eats into it. Great visibility out. Very comfortable overall. Glad Subaru didn't mess this up. Also worth noting that the cargo area is a little bit bigger by Subaru's measurements. That should be welcome with the new hands-free power lift gate. But we'll have to see how that holds up with our own measurements. Other notable features of the '25 Forester are a newly available 360-degree camera system, upgrades to its EyeSight suite of safety features, and according to Subaru, they've stiffened the body about 10% over the previous generation in an effort to improve both ride comfort and reduce noise. That noise reduction is very important because one of our complaints about the Forester has always been the noise coming from its four-cylinder engine and CVT transmission. And that's what you're getting with the '25 Forester as well. The only engine at launch will be a four-cylinder, making 180 horsepower, paired to that CVT, and all-wheel drive will be standard. Now, also coming in the near future, although we don't know exactly when, is a hybrid powertrain. Maybe that'll be a little bit quieter. And at some point, a Wilderness version, which is Subaru's more rugged, outdoorsy trim. All that information and pricing will be available closer to the Forester's launch date in early 2024. For more on the 2025 Subaru Forester and everything else here at the '23 Los Angeles Auto Show, you can find it on cars.com.