Subaru unveiled its first Forester hybrid at the Chicago Auto Show on Feb. 6.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
Subaru unveiled its most capable and rugged Forester SUV ever – the new 2026 Forester Wilderness at the Chicago Auto Show on Thursday. And alongside it, the Japanese automaker introduced its greenest and most fuel-efficient Forester to date – the 2025 Forester e-Boxer Hybrid – which has up to 40 per cent better fuel economy than the regular Forester. (In the U.S., it’s called Forester Hybrid).
Besides having more standard features and upgraded capability than the previous generation, the new Forester Wilderness (a badge first introduced on Forester in 2022) gets mechanical upgrades including longer coil springs and shock absorbers to help increase ground clearance, off-road tuned suspension, enhanced cooling, external cladding, all-weather seating surfaces and all-terrain tires on exclusive wheels. For off-roading, it also has improved approach, departure and breakover angles compared to its Forester siblings. The approach angle has now increased to 23.5 degrees versus 19 degrees on regular Foresters, the ramp breakover has improved to 21 degrees versus 19.6 degrees and the departure angle has edged up to 25.5 degrees versus 24.6 degrees.
Like the sixth-generation Subaru Forester, the new Wilderness model is powered by a revised 2.5-litre boxer engine that delivers 180 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque and is mated to a revised continuously variable transmission. To tackle different terrain, it’ll have an advanced dual-function X-mode with snow/dirt and deep snow/mud driving modes. Subaru’s revised Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system, which is on the new Forester, has faster centre differential lockup and reduced wheelspin when off-roading; it also incorporates steering angle data for better stability at turn-in and cornering on higher-speed roads. And it can tow more – up to 3,500 pounds thanks to an enhanced transmission cooler.
While there is slim competition in the off-road ready compact SUV segment, namely the Jeep Compass Trailhawk 4x4 and the Ford Bronco Sport Badlands trim, the hybrid compact SUV category is another beast. The new Forester e-Boxer Hybrid faces stiff competition in the segment from contenders such as the Honda CR-V hybrid, Hyundai Tucson hybrid, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and Ford Escape Hybrid.
The new Forester Wilderness gets mechanical upgrades including longer coil springs and shock absorbers to help increase ground clearance, off-road tuned suspension, enhanced cooling, external cladding, all-weather seating surfaces and all-terrain tires on exclusive wheels.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
The new Forester hybrid is the first Subaru in the lineup to get the next-generation Subaru e-Boxer hybrid powertrain, which integrates a 2.5-litre flat four-cylinder engine with two electric motors. It will deliver 194 total horsepower and have significant improvements in the fuel economy compared to its non-hybrid counterparts, although Canadian executives wouldn’t specify how much. Official fuel economy numbers haven’t been released. It’ll also have Subaru’s symmetrical full-time all-wheel-drive system, a continuously variable transmission and a small lithium-ion battery. The same hybrid system will be in the 2026 Crosstrek e-Boxer hybrid. Like previous collaborations with the Subaru Solterra and Subaru BRZ, some of the technology is shared with Toyota.
“We’ve developed a proprietary e-Boxer hybrid system for Subaru,” said Evan Lindsey, car line manager at Subaru Canada ahead of the Chicago Auto Show. “We leveraged Toyota technology so it’s really a marrying of Toyota’s hybrid system and Subaru proprietary technology like the Boxer engine, the electronic transmission and the symmetrical all-wheel-drive system.”
On the show floor, the Forester e-Boxer Hybrid looks like a conventional Forester on the outside, but with a few exceptions. Look closely to spot the e-Boxer badges on the front doors and rear tailgate. Appearance wise, the Forester Wilderness model stands out from its siblings thanks to bolder design cues such as funky LED hexagonal fog lights, underbody protection and cool anodized copper-finish exterior accents, including front and rear bumper tow hook covers and roof rails that can support an 80-kilogram load.
Likewise, inside the cabin, the Forester Wilderness has nicer touches than the e-Boxer Hybrid with soft-touch all-weather upholstery, anodized copper-finish interior accents and, for the first time, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster with Wilderness-exclusive graphics and navigation.
The 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness arrives at Canadian dealerships this fall, while the 2025 Forester e-Boxer Hybrid arrives this spring. The e-Boxer hybrid will be offered on the top Premier trim of the Forester. Prices aren’t available, yet. But the base 2025 Subaru Forester starts at $33,495, before freight and predelivery inspection.
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
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