Subaru’s 2020 Forester Hybrid and XV Hybrid pair will land in Australia soon and pricing and spec has been confirmed.

SUBARU AUSTRALIA HAS confirmed it will launch its anticipated Forester and XV Hybrid SUVs in March 2020.

The duo will pair up against nearest rivals the Toyota RAV4 and C-HR hybrids, however, Subaru’s hybrid drivetrain is distinctly different in that it matches an electric motor to a boxer petrol engine instead.

Specifically, the e-Boxer powertrain mates a 2.0-litre petrol boxer engine to an electric motor which produces 12.3kW and 66Nm of torque alone. Self-charging using regenerative braking energy, it combines with the petrol engine to produce a total output of 110kW at 6000rpm and 196Nm at 4000rpm through a CVT automatic transmission to all-four wheels. The electric motor can also propel the vehicle without assistance of the petrol motor at speeds up to 40km/h.

Subaru will also retain its off-road ‘X-Mode’ which optimises traction control for off-roading and it will also keep hill-descent control. The powertrain will be available in both the XV and Forester SUVs.

Pricing for the XV is $35,580 plus on-road costs, available in just one trim called the XV Hybrid. It comes with Subaru’s EyeSight driver safety assist and Vision suite (AEB, adaptive cruise control, pre-collision throttle management, lead vehicle start alert, ;ane departure warning and lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, lane change assist, high beam assist, rear cross traffic alert, reverse automatic braking), ‘premium’ cloth trim, roof rails, unique hybrid electric instrument displays, LED fog lights, rain sensing wipers and leather steering wheel and geaershifter.

The larger Forester Hybrid comes in two trim levels: Subaru Forester Hybrid L AWD ($39,990 plus on-road costs) and Subaru Forester Hybrid S AWD ($45,990 plus on-road costs).

The entry Forester Hybrid L AWD comes is similarly specced to the XV Hybrid, with cloth trim seats, LED fog lights and Subaru’s comprehensive safety and vision assist technologies.

The Forester Hybrid Hybrid S AWD adds a full leather-trim interior, sunroof, eight-speaker sound system, pedestrian alert, blue illumination instrument cluster and a black rear garnish.

We’re excited to see how the new Forester Hybrid stacks up against the normal petrol variant, which we have been long-term testing.

2020 Subaru Forester and XV price (plus on-road costs):

XV Hybrid AWD – $35,580

Forester Hybrid L AWD – $39,990

Forester Hybrid S AWD – $45,990

Get new car reviews like this and more delivered to you without lifting a finger. Simply join our Facebook  page or subscribe to our weekly newsletter (it’s free).