2025 Subaru Forester will get Toyota hybrid tech

Subaru revealed the sixth-generation Forester at the LA Auto Show, featuring a larger body with a stiffer chassis construction, a more intelligent EyeSight ADAS system, and a redesign that makes the Subaru crossover look closer to the Ford Explorer.

At launch, the Forester carried over the US market's 2.5-liter, naturally aspirated four-cylinder boxer engine. But for 2025, Subaru COO Jeff Walters has announced they will be offering the next-generation Forester with a hybrid system from Toyota.

As we all know, it's not the first time Toyota and Subaru have shared their technologies with one another. The most notable examples are the BRZ and the GR86, while recently the two have worked together for the bZ4X and Solterra EVs.

For the next-generation Forester, Subaru will continue to use its boxer engine, but the battery and electric components needed for the hybrid system will come from Toyota. Apparently, their in-house eBoxer hybrid system was reportedly being criticized for giving negligible fuel savings when compared to their pure ICE models.

Subaru is set to roll out the pure ICE Forester in the US market by around March to June 2024, while the hybrid version is set to follow sometime in 2025. For the Philippine market, however, expect Motor Image to stick with the outgoing model a little longer.