Nico’s 2026 Subaru Forester Review: A Hybrid SUV Reality Check

When I was modelling, I spent half my life in airports, hideous heels, and questionable hotel lighting — but I always felt most myself in a Subaru at home or away. There’s a grounded, homely comfort to them, like slipping into your favourite trackies after a runway show. This week, I’ve been helping Alan whip the 2026 Forester Hybrid words into a readable blurb, even though we’ve mostly been buggering about like two old bitches at a bake-off.

First impression? The new Forester feels solid — builder-daddy solid. It’s reassuring in that classic Subaru way that whispers, “I’ll get you home, babe, even if the weather turns biblical.”

Speaking of daddy — he put me in the H6 GT first, and colour me pink and call me Susan: I’m stunned.

I’ll admit straight up: unlike Alan, I wasn’t convinced Chinese cars could meet my needs… and darling, I have many. Japanese cars have long been the bastions of Aussie motoring — tried, tested, worshipped. Me? I like something different. My daily garage includes a ’76 Monaro LE and a Z1000 for thrills, so yes, I like machinery with history and a bit of grunt. But even I can see the petals on the flower of Japanese dominance starting to get a little wilty around the edges.
And the H6? It kicked serious value butt.

Above: This Week’s VIDEO Review – 2025 Kia Sorento PHEV SLAYS Official Economy Figure

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ABOVE: 2026 Subaru Forest Sport hybrid & 2025 GWM H6 GT PHEV

The Forester, meanwhile — once the lesbian luminary of the SUV world: queen of ability, queen of space, queen of Birkenstock practicality. Those first two crowns still fit beautifully.
But the value crown is slipping right off her greying bob.

The GWM H6 GT PHEV Comparison — The Twink in the Room

I drove the GWM H6 GT Ultra PHEV, which whispers along silently for up to 180km on EV power alone. It’s crisp, modern, future-focused, and has a deliciously premium look and feel. Warranty at 7 years, is a full 2 years more than Subaru).

Jumping back into the Forester afterward felt like popping into a country bakery after brunch in Surry Hills: charming, familiar, competent… but suddenly a little “ye olde worlde.”

Here’s the tea:

Interior Space

H6 GT PHEV:
Cavernous. The second row feels like a lounge room. Wide, flat floor, proper adult-friendly middle seat.
Boot is the weak point thanks to that handsome-but-daft coupe roofline: 392L.

2026 Forester:
Boxy, practical, airy. More usable boot: 496L seats up, or 1667L to the ceiling.
Cabin space is good, but not as generous as the larger H6.

Interior Vibes

• H6 GT: Clean, modern, minimalist, properly premium.
• Forester: Functional, but busy — like a modular parts bin put together during a blackout.

Tech & Comfort

H6 GT:
HUD ✔
Seat ventilation ✔
Full EV mode ✔
Big screens ✔
321kW / 762Nm ✔
0–100 in 4.9 seconds ✔
Basically everything except a shirtless tradie in the boot.

Forester:
HUD ✘
Seat cooling ✘
Infotainment is excellent, sound system surprisingly fab.
But let’s not pretend — she’s not the tech leader anymore.

Hybrid vs PHEV — A Very Different Game

The new 2026 Forester Hybrid is miles better than the old e-Boxer.
It finally has:

• A 2.5L Atkinson-cycle Boxer
• 145kW combined
• A proper electric motor (90kW)
• EV creep mode
• 6.2L/100km economy
• Over 1000km range

It’s smooth, calm, and genuinely pleasant to drive.

But…

Compared to the H6 GT PHEV, which can do your whole week on electrons?

It feels like comparing an Insta twink to an Olympic paddler (who didn’t get the sack) — both cute, but only one can lift you.

Price Reality Check

• H6 GT Ultra PHEV: ~$53,990 drive-away
• Forester Hybrid Sport: $54,990 + on-roads ($60,712 drive-away nsw )
• Forester Sport petrol: $48,490 + on-roads

For an extra $2,000 you can have the massive BYD Shark 6 PHEV ute. The Scoob could fit in the tub (not quite).

The moment you add the on-road costs, the H6 GT suddenly looks like it has a violin case full of extra value hidden in the boot.

So… Can the Forester Still Cut It?

Absolutely — if you want comfort, capability, space, and a dependable everyday SUV still shaped like a proper SUV.

But the competition has changed.
And the Chinese are now doing to the Japanese what the Japanese once did to Aussie carmakers:
undercutting on price while overdelivering on tech.

The Forester remains charming, competent, wholesome — the dependable lesbian aunt who always brings the good potato salad. Forester has a little extra ground clearance but I’d happily take either to a snow weekend.

But for the first time…
She’s not the only girl at the picnic worth looking at.

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