When Subaru unveiled the 2025 Forester last week at the LA Auto Show, there was a glaring omission in the SUV's spec sheet: a hybrid powertrain. Should you want an electrified Forester, you'll have to wait "about a year" after the conventionally powered version goes on sale, according to Subaru of America COO Jeff Walters.
The hybrid-powered Forester won't be an all-Subaru effort. Walters told Automotive News the electrified version will pair a boxer engine with an electric motor and a battery pack sourced from Toyota.This won't be the first Forester with an electrified powertrain; Europe got a hybrid version of the previous generation model.
2025 Subaru Forester
Technical specifications will be revealed soon, and we believe we'll see the hybrid Forester at dealers in spring 2025 considering the gasoline-fueled Subaru will reach dealers next spring. Using Toyota know-how doesn't come as a total surprise since the Crosstrek got a plug-in hybrid powertrain derived from the Prius Prime in 2019. The third-gen Crosstrek introduced a little over two years ago does offer a hybrid setup, but not in the United States.
Fuel economy numbers should shoot up compared to the outgoing 2024 model with its gas-only powertrain offering up to 29 miles per gallon in the combined cycle, per the EPA.
Regarding efficiency, Subaru says the new crossover has a revamped dual-zone standard climate control system that improves fuel economy. We are not expecting any major changes to the mpg numbers since the 2025 Forester sticks to the Subaru Global Platform as its predecessor. You'll want to wait for the hybrid coming in 2026 for significant gains.
