2025 Subaru Forester STI Sport price and specs: Special edition announced for Australia

09/05/2024 09:25 PM

The current Subaru Forester has received a new STI Sport special edition variant in Australia ahead of a new-generation model due sometime in 2025.

Set to arrive in local showrooms in late September, the 2025 Subaru Forester STI Sport – based on the top-of-the-range Forester 2.5i-S AWD – adds STI-tuned front and rear dampers, which is said to enhance the family SUV's "control, stability and balance".

However, despite the STI badge, there are no changes to the Forester's naturally-aspirated 136kW/239Nm 2.5-litre flat-four motor, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) automatic and a permanent all-wheel-drive system.

Subaru Australia said it expects the Forester STI Sport "to become a collector's item for years to come" with a limited number of units to be offered locally.

The Forester STI Sport was first unveiled in Japan two years ago – fitted with a 130kW/300Nm 1.8-litre turbo engine – and it has now reached Australia as one of the final changes for the current model, with the new-generation Forester unveiled in late 2023 expected to arrive here next year.

Priced from $48,640 before on-road costs – $1500 more than the 2.5i-S AWD – the STI Sport also adds black and red Nappa leather upholstery, red stitching on the steering wheel and instrument panel, dark grey alloy wheels, black exterior trims, and STI branding in the instrument cluster and on the tailgate.

MORE: The Subaru Forester STI is back… sort of

It is available to order in Crystal White pearl, Ice Silver metallic, Magnetite Grey metallic, Crystal Black silica and Offshore Blue metallic, with green, bronze and red colours from the 2.5i-S unavailable for the STI Sport.

The STI Sport is the latest special-edition variant to join the Forester line-up in 2024 following the launch of the 2.5i Luxury AWD in May, which added leather-accented seats and soft-touch materials over the base variant.

VFACTS new-car sales data reveals 9273 examples of the Subaru Forester have been registered in Australia between January and August 2024, behind the Toyota RAV4 (38,050), Mitsubishi Outlander (18,741), Mazda CX-5 (15,878), Kia Sportage (14,040), Hyundai Tucson (12,632), and Nissan X-Trail (11,878).

2024 Subaru Forester price in Australia

• Forester 2.5i AWD: $38,690
• Forester 2.5i Luxury AWD special edition: $39,690
• Forester 2.5i-L AWD: $41,090
• Forester 2.5i Premium AWD: $43,890
• Forester 2.5i Sport AWD: $45,640
• Forester 2.5i-S AWD: $47,140
• Forester STI Sport AWD special edition (new): $48,640
• Forester Hybrid-L AWD: $44,090
• Forester Hybrid-S AWD: $50,140

Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs.

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