The smarter, safer, and more capable than ever Subaru Forester has been selected as a finalist for the 2025 edition of New Zealand’s most prestigious automotive prize, the New Zealand Car of the Year award (NZCOTY).
Launched earlier this year, the all-new Subaru Forester marked a milestone for New Zealand, becoming the first vehicle in its class to pair permanent mechanical Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with strong hybrid efficiency.
Drivers who favour petrol-only performance will find confidence in Subaru’s refined 2.5-litre Boxer engine, paired with an upgraded Lineartronic® CVT that offers improved responsiveness and smoother take-off across daily commutes and longer escapes.
Representing automotive brands from Asia, the Americas and Europe, the NZCOTY finalists span a wide range of vehicle styles, but with SUVs and crossovers to the fore, and either full or partial electric power all but ubiquitous. Out of the 10 finalists the Subaru Forester is the only one that is sold as either a hybrid or a petrol. Six are only available in fully electric guise, two land here only as hybrids, and just one is solely powered by petrol.
The Subaru Forester and the other nine finalists were shortlisted from some three dozen all-new models released in the past twelve months.
Motoring Writers' Guild president Matthew Hansen says: "The Subaru Forester is the new generation of the model that won 2018 NZ Car of the Year honours in its previous generation.”
"To have such a mixture of different price points, silhouettes and carmakers present amongst this year's nominees underlines the exciting and fluid state of the motoring industry in 2025,” he adds.
There is a wide spread of price points represented by the finalists, with three models available for under $50K, and three carrying six-figure price tags.
The Subaru Forester pricing is as follows:
Petrol-only
Forester AWD $49,990
Forester AWD Sport $54,990
Forester AWD Touring $56,990
Hybrid
Forester AWD Hybrid $52,990
Forester AWD Hybrid Sport $59,990
Forester AWD Hybrid Touring $60,990
Jerry Delaney, General Manager of Inchcape New Zealand, the distributor of Subaru, was thrilled with the Subaru Forester’s nomination as a NZCOTY finalist.
“Our sixth generation Forester has really stepped it up another level and after 25 years as one of New Zealand’s most enduring and capable SUVs, this model has cemented itself as a Kiwi favourite.”
“Having long been the Subaru of choice for Kiwis wanting more adventure, more versatility, and more confidence in all conditions, I’m not surprised that Forester has been selected as a COTY finalist. This latest iteration of our capable Subaru SUV redefines what’s possible, bringing bold design, smarter hybrid performance, and next-level driver comfort to this iconic nameplate,” Delaney says.
The award’s winner will be decided by the Guild’s voting members over the coming months and announced on TVNZ One’s Seven Sharp programme in February.
Guild members assess the finalists on a specified range of criteria spanning how the vehicle performs its intended role; its styling, interior design and accommodation; fit, finish and quality; ride and refinement; performance; road-holding and handling; value for money; active and passive safety and environmental responsibility.
NZCOTY is the country’s longest-running motoring award. Having been delivered annually since 1988, it is the only fully national motoring prize and is also celebrated for being free from commercial involvement.
Find out more about the New Zealand Car of the Year finalist, the Subaru Forester here.
Catherine Pattison
Public Relations
Subaru of New Zealand
M +64 (0)27 44 55 389
E catherine.pattison@inchcape.co.nz
subaru.co.nz
