Showing up at the sixth-generation of this long running nameplate, the 2025 Subaru Forester adds a yaffle of technology whilst smoothing out some of the old car’s odd styling choices.
These jaundiced eyes have long thought the Forester has been saddled with an awkward appearance from which it has never grown out of, tall and narrow with more greenhouse than bodywork. Sure, it was always eminently practical but driving around in an upside-down fishbowl never really appealed to this writer. Surely not everyone will agree, but this new iteration rights some of those perceived wrongs to produce a vehicle that isn’t the Outback’s awkward cousin. Fun fact: this wagon-eqsue vehicle has 8.7 inches of ground clearance, outstripping more than a few SUVs. Its dimensions of width and length are up for 2025 but only by about half an inch each.
Still, what the hell do I know? Subaru has apparently sold 2.6 million of the things over the last thirty years. This time around, the model will be offered in a variety of trims ranging from base to Limited – though the burlier Wilderness is conspicuously absent. There’s a decent chance it’ll show up next year. Some of the details, like an air outlet at the trailing edge of the front wheel opening, are allegedly functional and make a real difference in dynamics. Other measurables include a quadrupling of structural adhesive for better rigidity and a quieter cabin.
Speaking of the interior, anyone who’s been inside a new Subaru in the last couple of years will recognize just about all the environs. A tablet-style 11.6-inch infotainment screen crops up on most trims, though others make do with a much smaller amount of digital real estate. Wireless smartphone integration is an option, as are a surround-view monitor and a kick activated rear hatchback. Whole Foods customers with armloads of bags have never been happier.
All hands get the latest iteration of EyeSight driver assist tech and is said to operate more quickly and in a wider range of driving conditions. Those cameras tucked up next to the rearview mirror now have a wider field of view as well. All-wheel drive is standard across the board because it’s a Subaru, and the 2.5-liter boxer engine soldiers on with 180 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque whilst paired with a CVT that has an octet of fake gears. Here’s hoping a stouter mill is in the works.
Pricing for the all-new 2025 Subaru Forester will be announced closer to its on-sale date in spring 2024.
[Images: Subaru]
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