Top 5 Highlights of the 2025 Forester

At the LA Auto Show in November 2023, Subaru revealed the 2025 Forester. This 6th-generation Forester features new technology, enhanced handling, and an all-new interior and exterior design. The 2025 Forester trim levels include Base, Premium, Sport, Limited, and Touring, and a Wilderness model is likely on the way. Subaru of Rochester gives you the five biggest highlights from the 2025 Forester debut. 

All-New Exterior

While all the sheet metal is new,  it is immediately recognizable as a Forester with its practical upright proportions and tall windows. The hexagon-shaped grille is more prominent and bolder and features an updated Subaru star-cluster badge, which will spread to the rest of the Subaru lineup. On each side of the grille are reshaped LED headlight clusters. There are subtle details throughout the body to increase aerodynamic efficiency. Most noticeable are functional vents behind the front fenders that enable air to escape from the front wheel wells. As before, the near-vertical tailgate allows tall items to be loaded almost to the cargo floor’s edge. The Forester keeps the same 105.1-inch wheelbase and grows just a half-inch more overall length. 

Improved dynamics

Stronger welds and close to four times the application of structural adhesive result in a 10% increase in torsional rigidity, yet with lighter structural weight. The stiffer body enables a quieter cabin and more meticulous suspension fine-tuning.

SUBARU STARLINK® Multimedia System

All but the base trim level 2025 Foresters will come standard with the SUBARU STARLINK® Multimedia system featuring the prominent 11.6-inch portrait configured touchscreen found on other Subaru models. With the large screen comes the convenience of wireless Apple CarPlay® and wireless Android Auto™, which allows you to enjoy your smartphone interfaces while keeping the phone in your pocket or purse.

The what3words location identification system is added to the available TomTom® navigation system. What3words divides North America  (as well as Europe and Asia) into approximately 10’x10’ squares, each identified by three entirely random words. For example, if you are to meet someone in a parking lot outside of the Mall of America and they have the system – which is available as a smartphone app – they can tell you they are at “pockets.boring.underwater”. Enter that in the Forester’s navigation system, and it will take you to exactly where they are. Besides large parking lots, the system is beneficial for national parks, off-road trails, or rural locations where the address may not be precise.  

Improved EyeSight®

The 2025 Forester will naturally have the latest version of Subaru’s award-winning EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology. With updated software and a wider view from the camera and sensors, the system will react faster and identify cyclists and pedestrians more quickly at intersections. A new feature is Emergency Stop Assist, which monitors driver responses while the Adaptive Cruise Control is engaged. If the driver is unresponsive, the system will stop the vehicle, activate the hazard lights, unlock the doors, and notify a STARLINK advisor, who can dispatch a first responder.

New Features and Enhancements

The Forester will offer a kick sensor-activated Hands-Free Power tailgate for the first time, enabling you to raise the tailgate when approaching the vehicle with your hands full. They made the interior more comfortable with more supportive seating for improved overall comfort and reduced fatigue after long trips. The front seat backs also have narrower shoulder areas for improved visibility and access to the rear seats. As evidence of how Subaru pays attention to how their customers use their cars, the headliner is now black to better camouflage the inevitable scuff marks from loading cargo. Noise from the roof panel is reduced by 39%, and there is additional sound dampening throughout the cabin. All Foresters will come with a Rear Seat Reminder that helps prevent child and pet entrapment by alerting the driver to check the rear seat before exiting the vehicle.

Subaru has sold over 2.6 million Foresters in the U.S. alone. With such a crossover SUV staple, Subaru knows what its customers deserve and delivers with this major update. You can expect to see the 2025 Forester in the Subaru of Rochester showroom in the Spring of 2024.