2025 Subaru Forester Looks Like A RAV4 Disguised As An Explorer, Gets Hybrid Power

SUVs tend to look so alike these days that it’s rare for a new one to radically divide opinion. But Subaru’s 2025 Forester has definitely done that after a flurry of images made their viral voyage through the internet, and the beef seems to be that it looks too much like at least one other well known off-roader.

The 2025 Forester that will be unveiled today at the LA Auto Show isn’t all-new, but you could be forgiven for thinking it is because Subaru has treated it to a major update that’s resulted in an entirely new exterior skin as well as a new interior. Out goes the old BMW X1-style body with its pronounced curves and relatively low (for the sector) hood for one that’s much blockier, macho and modern, but arguably less characterful.

It’s not hard to pick out a resemblance to the Forester’s Toyota RAV4 rival in the profile side profile, with its squared arches and little kink at the base of the D-pillar. And there’s good reason for that: Toyota shifted almost 400,000 RAVs last year, making it the fourth-best-selling vehicle in America, while the Forester only registered 114,000 sales and didn’t even make the top 25.

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But it’s the Forester’s similarity to another SUV that has really got people talking. The new, squarer front end is dominated by a large, upright grille flanked by a pair of headlights that spread out into the surrounding bodywork like a pair of wings. It’s nearly the exact same treatment Ford used on its older, fifth generation Explorer from 2010-2019.

The interior, though, is all Subaru’s own work. It’s clearly an evolution of the one we’re familiar with, the focal point being a portrait-layout touchscreen that’s embedded into the dashboard between a pair of vertical heater vents. Fans of analog dials will be pleased to see a pair of traditional clocks inside the instrument binnacle, rather than a completely digital display, but sadly, the handy rotary dials for the climate controls that are usually found below a Subaru’s touchscreen have been scrapped. Fortunately, the temperature controls and audio controls are at least physical items embedded in the screen bezel.

Related: Subaru To Fix 2024 Foresters That May Leak Coolant And Catch Fire Before They’re Delivered

Being a reskin, rather than an entirely new car, the 2025 Forester throws up no real mechanical surprises. Subaru dealers will still point EV fans in the direction of the Solterra, but plenty of brand devotees will be relieved that while the latest Forester’s styling is all-new, it still features the same 2.5-liter boxer engine and standard all-wheel drive transmission.

Check back here for the live video stream at 9:45 am PT or 12:45pm ET, after which we’ll bring you all the details.