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In the good old days, pigeonholing a Subaru owner was pretty easy… gumboots, a warm vest, and a rural address were de rigeur for drivers of Adventure Wagons and Brumbys.
It’s still not hard to trace a line back to those humble beginnings with the current line-up, but Subaru’s product has evolved and matured over its 50-year stint in Australia without losing its sense of identity.
The current Subaru range in Australia comprises Crosstrek, Forester and Outback SUVs, the WRX sports sedan and wagon, the BRZ sports coupe and the brand's first EV; the Solterra.
The Solterra shares its underpinnings with the incoming Toyota BZ4X. Subaru sold 386 Solterras in 2024, following its March debut.
What's coming?
For now, Subaru's future holds a new-generation Forester, and a new Toyota-derived 'Strong Hybrid' system.
Continue reading to learn more!
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JUMP AHEAD
Crosstrek
Subaru launched the new Crosstrek nee XV in 2023, with not a great deal going on in terms of new spec or powertrains.
At launch, the Crosstrek carried an entry price of $34,990 through to $45,090 before on-road costs, with 2.0-litre petrol and hybrid powertrains.
In late 2024, Subaru detailed its new 'Strong Hybrid' S:HEV hybrid system, which will debut in the next-generation Forester in 2025, and a Crosstrek variant in Japan.
The S:HEV system uses Toyota-derived series-parallel hybrid technology, featuring a 2.5-litre Boxer engine producing 116kW, paired with an 88kW electric motor and a 1kWh/260V battery — an upgrade from the 0.6kWh/188V setup in current Subaru hybrids. The system claims a 50% increase in range and a 20% improvement in fuel economy, aided by a larger 64L fuel tank.
Compared to Subaru’s current hybrids, the S:HEV significantly enhances performance, with the electric motor far exceeding the 12kW and 66Nm output of the existing Forester Hybrid.
Australian details are still to come, but our Crosstrek will likely gain the new tech in late 2025 or early 2026 with a midlife facelift.
Forester & Forester Hybrid
Subaru unveiled the new Forester Hybrid at the Chicago Auto Show, following the overseas launch of the regular new Forester in early 2024.
The reveal of the Hybrid also brought the long-awaited confirmation of a launch date for the new-gen Forester range: July 2025.
The "strong hybrid" combines a 2.5-litre Boxer engine with a Toyota-sourced electric motor and a 0.7kWh battery, delivering 145kW. Power is sent to all four wheels via an e-CVT, and unlike some hybrids, the Forester retains a mechanical all-wheel-drive connection.
Fuel efficiency is rated at 6.7L/100km in the US, but potentially closer to 5.5L/100km in Australia based on comparative ratings.
Alongside the hybrid, Subaru also revealed the Forester Wilderness, an off-road focused variant with increased ground clearance, off-road bumpers, all-terrain tyres, and other enhancements.
While not yet confirmed for Australia, Subaru has expressed interest in bringing Wilderness models to the local market.
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Outback
The most recent Outback launched in late 2022 with new turbo power, and comes in two trim grades: Outback AWD Sport XT and Outback AWD Touring XT.
In XT form, the Outback is blessed with a 2.4-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine producing 183kW between 5200-6000rpm and 350Nm between 2000Nm-4800rpm. It already makes up half of all Outback sales, according to Subaru.
A new Wilderness trim (above) was expected to reach Australia in 2024, but has now been delayed to sometime in 2025.
The US-spec Outback Wilderness is lifted by 28mm thanks to different, taller springs and heavy-duty dampers. It also boasts an improved 20-degree approach angle and 241mm ground clearance, matte black body cladding and underbody protection.
An 'e-Outback' trademark has also appeared in government filings, which could suggest an all-electric or perhaps plug-in hybrid version of the high-riding wagon is on the way.
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JUMP AROUND
Impreza
The new-generation Impreza reached Australia in early 2024, with styling again shared with the high-riding Crosstrek.
It offers carryover underpinnings and a familiar engine, while the sedan has been deleted globally, leaving a hatch-only line-up.
The new model launched with a starting price of $31,490 before on-road costs, with pricing up across the board by between $4200 to $5200.
Addressing the price increase, Subaru has described the entry-level Impreza 2.0L as “one of the highest specced entry models in the segment," with a significant increase in standard equipment – including a full suite of active safety tech for the first time.
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WRX
The new-generation Subaru WRX launched in May 2022 in Australia, with prices starting from $44,990 before on-road costs.
Subaru offers the new WRX in both sedan and wagon bodies, with both versions available in three variants – a base model, an RS grade for the sedan and GT grade for the Sportswagon, and a flagship auto-only tS grade.
An update to the manual variants will provide them with Subaru’s EyeSight active safety suite, but no timeframe has been confirmed by Subaru Australia.
Despite a handful of limited-run specials debuting overseas, there seems to be little appetite from the local arm to push the barrow out too far with the current WRX. We did, however, get a limited-run Club Spec in April 2024.
In late 2023, Subaru revealed the Layback, debuting as an Outback-like jacked-up version of the WRX wagon (still known overseas as the Levorg).
The Layback won't be coming to Australia, but its new-look face is likely a preview of a future update to the Impreza hatch and WRX wagon.
BRZ
The only non-AWD in the Subaru family, the second-generation BRZ launched in late 2021.
It sports an uprated 2.4-litre direct- and port-injection naturally-aspirated four-cylinder boxer engine, developing around 173kW of power and 250Nm of torque – a bump of 18kW and 32Nm over the first-gen car’s 2.0-litre engine.
The BRZ was given a minor update in late 2024. Read about it here.
Electric vehicles
Solterra
It’s Subaru’s first EV and its most expensive model, but can the Solterra trouble big-name rivals that include the Tesla Model Y?
The Solterra launched in Australia with a dual-motor all-wheel drive configuration that produces 160kW and 337Nm priced from $77,990 before on-road costs.
A 64kWh usable (71.4kWh gross) lithium-ion battery yields up to 466 kilometres of claimed WLTP driving range on a full charge. Recharging speeds are capped at 6.6kW AC and 150kW DC.
It shares the same Toyota-developed platform with the Toyota BZ4x and Lexus RZ.
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