UK’s Next-Gen Subaru Forester Hybrid, It’s Not The One U.S. Customers Want

A new 2025 Forester hybrid is launching in the UK, but it's not the one coming to the U.S. market.

The UK is set to introduce a unique version of the 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid, the only trim level available in Europe. The new model is designed to cater to UK customers' specific needs and preferences, not North American customers.

The first 2025 Subaru Forester breaks cover in the UK as a single hybrid trim level, but this is one new compact Forester SUV U.S. customers don't want. The new sixth-generation Forester hybrid coming to the UK in the spring of 2025 is the same e-Boxer hybrid the fifth-generation Forester had. You can read my e-Boxer report here. 

Subaru UK says, "The all-new Forester features improved on-road driving dynamics and off-road capability and will be powered by Subaru's e-BOXER mild-hybrid powertrain. An optimized direct-injection 2.0-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder normally aspirated gas engine paired with a Lineartronic transmission."   

The key word is mild-hybrid.

The next-gen Forester heading to the UK and Europe will be a mild hybrid, which means it's not a full hybrid powertrain like the one coming to U.S. customers.

The Forester e-Boxer uses the same FA20 2.0-liter direct injection gas engine as the discontinued Crosstrek Hybrid compact SUV and mates it with an electric motor. It uses a lithium-ion battery unit mounted under the rear cargo floor, and Subaru says it allows pure-electric driving at speeds up to 25 mph.

The previous-generation Forester 2.0-liter e-Boxer produced 145 PS (143hp) and 188 Nm (139 lb-ft) of torque. The AC synchronous motor produced 13.6 PS (13.4 hp) and 65 Nm (48 lb-ft) of torque. 

Subaru did not reveal the new 2025 Forester's hybrid specs or whether they upgraded the e-Boxer technology over the previous generation. 

What is the fuel mileage?

Subaru UK did not release fuel mileage estimates for the new 2025 Forester. Subaru said the outgoing Forester e-Boxer had a 10 percent improvement in fuel economy compared to the 2.0-liter gas model.

The 2024 Forester e-Boxer power-split is adjusted according to the driving condition and alternated between three driving modes: EV driving, Motor Assist, and Engine mode. EV Driving allows for all-electric driving for distances of about a mile and reaches speeds of up to 25mph. 

Motor Assist Driving is used at medium speeds where the electric motor and engine work together to improve performance and fuel efficiency. This is where engine torque is improved, and off-road ability is enhanced as it generates earlier torque when using X-Mode and assists when towing. 

In the Engine Driving mode, the Forester e-Boxer uses the 2.0-liter gas engine at higher speeds and, depending on conditions recharges the battery.

The U.S-specification Forester Hybrid will not be a mild hybrid. 

There will be a significant difference in the 2026 Forester Hybrid U.S. customers will get. Here is what I know.

The U.S-specification Forester Hybrid will not be a mild-hybrid; it will have a full-hybrid powertrain. It will also not be a plug-in hybrid like the discontinued Crosstrek PHEV. Read my report here for more details. 

Subaru's new Forester hybrid technology formula is simple. Subaru Corp will still use the Japanese automaker's signature horizontally opposed Boxer engine and employ it as a generator and drive unit. Tetsuo Fujinuki, Subaru's chief technical officer, said it's a series-parallel hybrid system similar to the Toyota Prius.

The new series-parallel hybrid powertrain will package Subaru's internal combustion Boxer engine, electric motor, transfer case, and transmission together at the front of the vehicle. A drive shaft will stretch back to a small rear differential to power the all-wheel drive system.

Fujinuki says the new U.S.-spec hybrid system they are developing will have a small and compact Boxer engine, a differential to drive the front wheels, two motors for the hybrid unit, a transmission to drive the rear wheels, and a transmission to transmit torque to the car. 

The power control unit sits on top of the configuration, freeing up room at the vehicle's rear for a traditional-sized fuel tank. With the hybrid system and full-sized fuel tank, they've achieved a more extended range of gas and electric propulsion with the vehicle. 

Subaru's new hybrid system will allow the new Forester to travel longer distances on a single tank of fuel, reducing the need for frequent refueling and making the compact SUV Hybrid more convenient for long trips. 

The Subaru hybrid system is being designed and manufactured later this year at its newly renovated factory in Japan's Kitamoto City. The factory previously made general-purpose engines for the Japanese automaker. Read my report here for more information. 

Conclusion:

The all-new 2025 Subaru Forester e-Boxer hybrid is heading to the UK next spring, but U.S. customers will get an entirely different hybrid technology in its new Forester coming next year. It's a good thing because the e-Boxer is not the best hybrid technology. Stay tuned. 

I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Writer since 2012. I’ve invested over 13 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role, working with every major car brand. I am an experienced Rocky Mountain Automotive Press member. You'll find my expert Subaru analysis here. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Subaru