Launched at the Chicago Auto Show, the Forester Hybrid uses an all-new series-parallel hybrid system. At the heart is a newly-developed 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle Boxer engine with 160 horsepower and 209 Nm of torque. Meanwhile, two three-phase AC synchronous electric motors (one providing traction, the other a generator) provides 120 horsepower and 270 Nm of torque. Combined it makes 197 horsepower making it the most powerful variant of the Forester since the demise of the turbocharged Forester XT.

Thanks to the Boxer engine’s compact layout, the power control unit is located on top of the engine and this one controls the electric power supplied from the high-capacity sealed lithium-ion battery. The Forester, like the Crosstrek Hybrid, can run on electric, gas, or a combination of both, on or off the pavement.

Jokes about the Forester’s fuel economy, or lack thereof, will be a thing of the past as the Forester Hybrid delivers up to 40 percent better fuel efficiency than its non-hybrid counterpart (25 percent city/highway combined). Subaru reckons it can travel 935 kilometers on a single tank of gas while earning 12.3 km/L be on the city, highway, or combined.

Unlike most other hybrid all-wheel drive setups, Subaru has stuck to its roots by maintaining a mechanically coupled front and rear axles using a propeller shaft. The Symmetric All-Wheel Drive system continues with X-Mode with Dual Mode, Hill Descent Control, and Active Torque Vectoring. The Forester Hybrid also keeps the traditional model’s impressive 220 mm ground clearance.

The rest of the Forester Hybrid package is similar to its non-hybrid counterpart except for “HYBRID” badging and a new color that’s exclusive to this electrified variant: Daybreak Blue Pearl. Certain colors also get the option of a two-tone color scheme with a Crystal Black Silica roof.