Simone reviews the latest 2021 Subaru Forester Hybrid. The Forester has been one of the most revered SUVs of its kind for a long time. There has never been anything too flashy about its design or features. It was value for money, the perfect mix between spaciousness/dimensions and outright capability.

As it evolved, it lost some of the off-road dedicated perks, but even without them, its symmetrical AWD proved to be more than enough for most people. It really is an amazing system.

The one we review is the Subaru Forester Hybrid S, so it is the top version of the Forester currently available and, at this price range, it has some tough competition, most notably in the form of the Rav4 Hybrid.

The entry-level Forester with a 2.5 L petrol engine only starts from under 40k driveaway, the very top version with the hybrid powertrain gets a significant price bump to 51k driveaway. This means the Forester Hybrid is actually a bit more expensive than the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid.

Engine Specifications

Hybrid L AWD

Engine:Β Direct Fuel Injection, Horizontally Opposed, 4-Cylinder, DOHC 16-Valve, Petrol Engine
Power: 110 kW @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 196 Nm @ 4000 rpm
Transmission: Lineartronic CVT
Fuel Consumption (combined):Β 6.7L/100km

Hybrid S AWD

Engine:Β Direct Fuel Injection, Horizontally Opposed, 4-Cylinder, DOHC 16-Valve, Petrol Engine
Power: 110 kW @ 6000 rpm
Torque:Β 196 Nm @ 4000 rpm
Transmission: Lineartronic CVT
Fuel Consumption (combined):Β 6.7L/100km

This engine alone is also not as powerful as the 2.5 Litre non-hybrid which has 136 kW and 239 Nm, the 2 Litre one from the hybrid has 110 kW and 196 Nm.Β Of course, it gets a bit of an extra boost from the electric motor to help it at 12.3 kW and 66 Nm.

The 2.5 in the non-hybrid version officially uses 7.4 L per 100 km in the combined cycle, while this hybrid version is at 6.7 L.