Sixth-Gen Subaru Forester Gains New Hybrid & Wilderness Variants
Both the sixth-gen Subaru Forester Hybrid and Wilderness have made their official landfall in the US.
After more than a year since making its debut, the sixth-gen Subaru Forester has gotten two new variants in the US market, namely the Forester Hybrid and the rugged Forester Wilderness. While the former features a new 2.5-litre ‘Boxer’ hybrid powertrain setup that provides exceptional fuel efficiency, the latter leans more towards off-road enthusiasts, featuring some extra rugged parts and bits over its vanilla twin.
We’ll start off with the Forester Hybrid, and as we mentioned above, this semi-electrified SUV is powered by a new and improved 2.5-litre flat-four nat-asp engine that hooks up to an electric motor juiced by a tiny 1.1-kWh battery pack. Combined, this hybrid boxer setup is capable of delivering 194 HP, as well as a pretty impressive fuel economy rate of 35 miles per gallon or 14.8 KM per litre of fuel on a combined cycle.
Similarly, said hybrid engine is still mated to the same Lineartronic CVT gearbox and Subaru’s proprietary Symmetrical AWD system, thus promising almost similar off-roading performance compared to its full ICE twin.
On the visual front, the new Forester Hybrid looks pretty similar to its ICE-only siblings, with the only notable difference being the ‘Hybrid’ badge primed on its front fenders and rear tailgate. In the top-spec Touring trim, the Forester Hybrid comes standard with 19-inch alloy wheels and exclusive two-tone paint options, while its onboard equipment list includes a portrait-oriented 11.6-inch infotainment screen, a fully digital instrument cluster, a premium audio system, and many more.
Moving on to the rugged Forester Wilderness, this off-road-ready SUV gets a pretty serious makeover, with the biggest highlight being its jacked-up ground clearance of 236 MM, as well as the 17-inch alloy wheels shod in all-terrain tyres. To go along with its lifted ride height, Subaru has also equipped the Forester Wilderness with front and rear skid plates, plus a slew of rugged cosmetic bits like the roof rails, plastic underbody claddings, and the Wilderness badges scattered around the exterior.
The Wilderness treatment continues inside this SUV, as the cabin is now primed with a slew of orange-hued trims and Wilderness branding, as well as a unique textured upholstery for the front dash. Tech-wise, the Forester Wilderness gets the same equipment as the Touring trim level, which includes both the aforementioned infotainment screen and digital metre cluster, and many more.
Under the hood, the Forester Wilderness uses the same 2.5-litre flat-4 nat-asp engine as other Forester variants, which is exclusively mated to the same CVT gearbox to output 180 HP. Subaru did mention that it has equipped the Wilderness model with a new transmission cooler that boosts its towing capacity to over 1,500 KG, while its rear differential gains a new temperature sensor that promises to offer “more confidence on the trails.”
The all-new, sixth-gen Subaru Forester Hybrid starts from $36,415 (RM161,737) onwards in the US market, while the price for the more rugged Forester Wilderness is poised to be announced in the near future.
Closer to home, local Subaru brand vanguard TC Subaru has yet to launch the sixth-gen Forester into our market, with the facelifted fifth-gen model still on sale today, with prices starting from RM164,288 onwards.
Gallery


























































Written By
Mukhlis Azman
An avid two-wheeler that writes and talks about four-wheelers for a living, while dreaming of an urban transit-laden Malaysia. @mukhlisazman
JPJ Running Numbers
KUALA LUMPUR
VPG3413
SELANGOR
BSF4817
JOHOR
JYA4522
PULAU PINANG
PRR4731
PERAK
ANW6390
PAHANG
CFC1267
KEDAH
KGA9280
NEGERI SEMBILAN
NEG2280
KOTA KINABALU
SJL2895
KUCHING
QAB5081L
Last updated 16 Jun, 2025
Fuel Price
Petrol
RON 95
RM 2.05
RON 97
RM 3.07
RON 100
RM 5.00
VPR
RM 6.23
Diesel
EURO 5 B10
RM 2.74
EURO 5 B7
RM 2.94
Last updated 12 Jun, 2025
Related News
Seventh-Gen Subaru Outback Bows In with New SUV Bodystyle
The Subaru Outback has now been transformed into a rugged, off-road-capable SUV for its seventh-gen iteration.
18-04-2025
New Subaru Trailseeker And Face-lifted Solterra EVs Bow
New Subaru Trailseeker unwrapped as brand’s second EV offering whilst its first – the Solterra – undergoes a facelift.
17-04-2025
Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid Enters North American Market
Electrified Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid for North America unveiled, goes on sale starting Fall this year.
20-01-2025
Subaru Heads to TAS 2025 with Purple BRZ and STI Specials
Leading Subaru’s model lineup at the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon 2025 is a special BRZ STI Sport Purple Edition.
23-12-2024
Subaru BRZ & WRX Kuala Lumpur Editions Unveiled – On Sale At TASKL 2024
TC Subaru has unveiled the special BRZ & WRX Kuala Lumpur Editions ahead of their entry at the TASKL 2024.
02-11-2024
Subaru BRZ Seres.Purple Edition Sees Just 500 Units Offered In North America
Subaru BRZ gains new Seres.Purple special edition in North America with just 500 units up for grabs.
24-10-2024
Subaru Crosstrek S:HEV Bows With New “Strong Hybrid” Heart
Electrified Subaru Crosstrek S:HEV bows with new series parallel hybrid powertrain that promises over 1,000 KM range.
22-10-2024
Subaru Chiffon Try Debuts in Japan As A Cutesy Yet Tough Kei Car
The all-new Subaru Chiffon Try debuts as a cute-looking yet tough Kei car that is designed for the outdoors.
04-10-2024
Latest News
Ativa’s Subaru Rex ‘Cousin’ Gains New Hybrid REEV/EREV Variants
Japan market Subaru Rex, essentially ‘twins’ with the Perodua Ativa, gains new hybrid REEV/EREV variants.
16-06-2025
Luca De Meo Quits As Renault CEO To Join Luxury Goods Giant Kering
58-year-old Luca De Meo resigns as CEO of Renault to lead luxury goods giant Kering instead.
16-06-2025
2025 Le Mans 24 Hours Sees Ferrari Chart Three-Peat Win
2025 Le Mans 24 Hours race see Ferrari chart historic three-peat win in the hands of privateers AF Corse.
16-06-2025
Ferrari 296 Speciale Gains New Le Mans-Inspired Piloti Edition
The Ferrari 296 Speciale gains a new Piloti edition, featuring design bits inspired by the 499P Le Mans hypercar.
16-06-2025
This is McLaren’s New Le Mans Hypercar for 2027
McLaren has unveiled its new Le Mans hypercar for the 2027 season of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
15-06-2025
Toyota GR LH2 Racing Concept Unveiled as a Hydrogen-Hybrid Le Mans Racer
Toyota has unveiled its second hydrogen-powered Le Mans hypercar concept, known as the Toyota GR LH2 Racing Concept.
14-06-2025
Chery Nears 5 Million Export Milestone; One Vehicle Shipped Every 29 Sec
As Chery races towards 5 million exports, signs point to Malaysia welcoming its premium brand Exeed as early as 2026.
13-06-2025
London-bound Air India Boeing Crash Kills Hundreds, Leaves Sole Survivor
An Air India flight bound for London tragically crashed in western India on Thursday, resulting in over 290 fatalities.
13-06-2025
Show More
trending_flat