Subaru Forester (2025) in the first driving report: Pragmatically good?
Spacious, comfortable and off-road capable – that's what the Subaru Forester has always been. But now a new quality is being added: style.
Subaru is pursuing a clear goal with the new Forester: to continue the success story of the mid-size SUV. To achieve this, the brand continues to rely on its proven strengths such as robustness, safety, off-road capability and comfort. But for the first time, the design is also coming into focus. We have already been able to test extensively how the sixth generation performs on the road and off paved paths.
What is that?
Since 1997, the Forester has earned a firm place in the automotive world. More than five million units sold worldwide speak for themselves. The SUV is also very popular in Europe: The Forester was sold almost 370,000 times here, and 89,000 times in Germany. For a comparatively small manufacturer like Subaru, these are impressive figures.
Fast Data | Subaru Forester 2.0ie Platinum |
Engine | Four-cylinder naturally aspirated boxer, 2.0 litre displacement plus electric motor |
Achievement | 100 kW (136 hp), 182 Nm torque; Electric motor 12.3 kW, 66 Nm |
Length x Width x Height | 4,670 x 1,830 x 1,730 mm |
Tare | 1,739 kg |
Price | 49,190 euros |
The fact that the Forester convinces its buyers is also shown by a look at the latest sales figures. Despite a difficult market environment and the imminent model changeover, it grew by a whopping 19 percent in 2024. A strong foundation for the next generation – and at the same time a high standard.
The Forester has always been a car for pragmatists. Functional, reliable, but visually rather restrained. Now, however, the Japanese are breaking new ground: The 2025 Forester makes a conscious design statement for the first time.
Exterior
The technical framework has not been shaken – the proven boxer engine and the permanent all-wheel drive remain untouched. But visually, Subaru has dared to do something. The lines are more striking, the details more precisely drawn.
The flank in particular now looks more well thought-out: the designers have visually broken up the wide roof pillars with horizontal elements, modelled the wheel arches more angularly and given the sills more structure. In our opinion, the result is an SUV that looks not only functional, but also appealing.



At the front, a confidently designed black radiator grille dominates, flanked by sharply cut LED headlights. At the rear, horizontal elements visually pull the car into width. It's surprising that you can talk about the design of a Subaru for so long – which shows how important the topic has become for the brand.
Dimensions | Subaru Forester 2.0ie Platinum |
Length | 4,670 mm |
Width | 1,830 mm |
Height | 1,730 mm |
Wheelbase | 2,670 mm |
Tare | 1,739 kg |
Weight | 2,185 kg |
Towing capacity | 2,055 kg |
Trunk volume | 508 - 1,186 litres |
Interior
Subaru has also noticeably improved the interior. Comfort was high on the list of priorities during development – and you notice that immediately. The front seats are generously sized and offer a surprising amount of lateral support.
The combination of leather and Alcantara gives the interior a touch of premium ambience, even if some plastic surfaces can't quite play up to this level. The leather-covered steering wheel in particular looks more robust than high-quality – practical off-road, but not necessarily a flatterer to the hand.



On the back seat, the Forester offers an almost lavish amount of space. For an SUV just under 4.70 meters long, the legroom and headroom are impressive. In addition, there are amenities such as a separate seat heating for the outer seats. The trunk volume is also generous, and with clever details such as mounting hooks, a socket and a remote control for the folding rear seats, Subaru shows that practicality is still a top priority.
The new infotainment system relies on an upright touchscreen with a diagonal of almost 30 centimeters. Operation is easy thanks to large, logically arranged icons. Particularly pleasing: Despite the central screen, Subaru does not do without classic buttons and rotary controls for important functions - a plus point for ergonomics.

Visually, the graphics may not keep up with the hypermodern displays of the competition, but in practice one thing counts above all: functionality. And here the system convinces with smooth operation and fast response times.
Smartphone integration is a matter of course: Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can be connected wirelessly, and an inductive charging cradle with fast charging function ensures full batteries. There are also both USB-A and USB-C ports.


The cockpit offers a real surprise: Instead of a digital instrument display, Subaru continues to rely on classic analogue round instruments with a small information display in the middle. When was the last time we saw a new car without a fully digital cockpit? But here, too, legibility does not suffer at all – on the contrary.
Drive
When it comes to the drive, Subaru is proud to continue to be the only supplier besides Porsche to continue to rely on the brand's typical boxer engine. Despite some disadvantages (expensive production, wide design), the company does not want to do without the concept-related advantages.
Due to the extremely flat design, the centre of gravity is lowered, the bonnet can be kept lower and in the event of a frontal crash, the package slides under the passenger compartment. Fun fact: Subaru relies on two 12V batteries. While one takes care of the on-board electrical system, the other exclusively supplies the start/stop system.

But while driving, some doubts creep in as to whether all this is still justified. In the course of further development, the two-liter engine has lost some of its already quite sparse horsepower, so that the remaining 136 hp have to struggle with the more than 1.7 tons of curb weight.
The reason is the strict exhaust gas regulations, which probably required some adjustments. The horses are supported by an electric motor at the transmission output, which contributes 12.3 kilowatts and 66 Nm of torque. Doesn't sound like much, but it makes a small difference.
Especially when starting off, you clearly notice the electric support, because it starts lively. After that follows – not much more. The continuously variable automatic transmission called "Lineartronic" lets the naturally aspirated engine cheer up, but there is not much propulsion. At least there are no annoying vibrations despite the high speeds and the sound insulation is really good.
Performance | Subaru Forester 2.0ie Platinum |
0 - 100 km/h | 12.2 s |
Maximum speed | 188 km/h |
Fuel consumption (WLTP) | 8.1 l/100 km |
Of course, this is enough to swim along in traffic, but it doesn't feel particularly confident. The Subaru is also clearly underpowered off-road with this engine. Especially here, this car can do so much that you often simply wish for more power. Just like on the highway.

But there is a glimmer of hope. When asked, Subaru Managing Director Volker Dannath confirmed that they were very interested in offering the new "Strong Hybrid" drive in the German Forester as well. With a system output of 185 hp, twice as large a battery and more electric support, this would have much better cards. So let's hope that the German market doesn't come away empty-handed here.
Handling
But we had the opportunity to test the Forester extensively off-road. And here the Subaru shines, as you would expect. With 220 millimeters of ground clearance, permanent all-wheel drive and the electronic "X-Mode", it gets through almost everywhere and outshines many competitors.
The new 360° camera helps just as much as the good all-round view. Spin wheels are not an issue in view of the very good traction (and low power). It's impressive what can be done here – after all, we're talking about an SUV and not a real off-road vehicle.

The chassis itself is comfortably tuned. We had the opportunity to drive the previous model for comparison, and especially on cobblestones, the progress is considerable. Although the noise insulation has also been greatly improved, the front axle sometimes rumbles through on hard bumps.
Otherwise, it is amazing how balanced the Subaru engineers have tuned the chassis without compromising off-road capability. Another advantage: Only for Germany has the towing capacity been increased to over two tonnes (2,055 kg with a maximum gradient of 8%), while in the rest of the world only 1,870 kg may be towed.
When it comes to assistance systems, the new Forester is up to date. In addition to the systems that are now required by law, such as the speed limit warning (which can be deactivated with three clicks), it also offers a well-functioning adaptive cruise control and a lane keeping function. An emergency stop function is also on board if the driver stops responding.

Interestingly, Subaru continues to rely on its self-developed EyeSight system, which relies almost exclusively on cameras, while other manufacturers rely on radar. While this technology has already caused problems at Tesla several times, Subaru seems to have it under control. According to Subaru technicians, only really poor visibility should show the limits of the system. One advantage: In contrast to radar sensors, it is not as susceptible to snowfall or dirt. In our test, everything worked perfectly.
Prices
At at least 40,490 euros for the basic "Trend" model, the Subaru Forester is quite reasonably priced. Our top model "Platinum" costs at least 49,190 euros, but offers almost complete equipment. A similarly spacious Skoda Kodiaq with all-wheel drive costs at least 48,890 euros, but then has over 200 hp.

The VW Tayron with all-wheel drive starts at 50,770 euros, while Toyota charges at least 52,790 euros for the RAV4 4x4. The Honda CR-V with all-wheel drive also costs no less than 52,000 euros. The Nissan X-Trail with 4x4 is available from 45,900 euros. So if you absolutely want all-wheel drive and plenty of space, you can get away with the Forester quite cheaply.
Conclusion 7/10
You have to admire Subaru for the consistency with which the Japanese do their own thing. The new Forester is now more suitable for the masses without diluting its core brand values. It is still ideal for hard work in the Eifel forest or quarry. But the fact that you can now also appear in front of the opera with him in fine thread is new.

It offers comfort and safety in abundance, only the drive unit is not convincing. Compared to modern turbo engines with direct-shift transmission, the combination of naturally aspirated boxer and continuously variable transmission is simply inferior. The Forester gives the impression that it can do much more – if the right engine is added later. On the other hand, Subaru has a solid fan base and they will not be bothered by the familiar engine system. So nothing stands in the way of further success.
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