2025 Kia Sportage vs 2025 Subaru Forester

Watch Alex Forrest's review of the 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid on our Horizons by RAC YouTube channel

Here are two of the heavy hitters of the medium-sized SUV segment. They are established top ten sellers among over 60 models available in Australia’s biggest-selling and most diverse vehicle category: mid-sized SUVs.    

The new Subaru Forester’s all-new hybrid system has a bigger battery and more powerful electric motor, which make it both more fuel efficient and better to drive.  

The updated Kia Sportage arrived in May 2025, just a month before the new Forester. It’s had a nip and tuck front and rear and some interior changes, and the petrol-only models now get an eight-speed torque converter transmission.  

The biggest indicator of how much these two rival each other is their very close pricing. Entry-level variants for the Forester and Sportage hybrids cost $52,770 and $52,325 respectively.  

But there are some critical differences between these two, especially around pricing and off-road ability.  

Let’s see which one suits you best.   

Value for money 

Both the Subaru Forester and Kia Sportage are well-stocked with safety and infotainment tech, but there are some differences that buyers will want to keep in mind.  

Firstly, even the entry level Forester Hybrid gets wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, whereas in the Sportage you need to plug in your phone to access these.  

On the flipside, the Sportage gets a space saver spare tyre, which is a better option than the puncture repair kit offered by the Forester hybrid.  

Kia offers a seven-year warranty with the Sportage, where the Forester only gets five years warranty coverage.   

But perhaps the biggest value difference is that compared to the entry level Forester Hybrid, which is all-wheel drive, the similarly priced Sportage Hybrid is more powerful but only front-wheel drive.   

Behind the wheel  

The extra punch from the Forester’s vastly improved hybrid system (compared with the first try launched in 2020) is immediately evident. It’s responsive and the all-wheel drive system makes the Forester feel highly capable and sure-footed, especially on wet roads.  

The Sportage’s hybrid system does produce more power – 173kW against the Forester’s 145kW. But at the Forester’s approximately $52,000 price point, the Sportage is only front-wheel drive. You’ll need to spend a little more ($55,730) to get all-wheel drive in the Sportage hybrid.      

In comparable all-wheel drive form, the Sportage also uses less fuel in the mandated test, sipping 5.3L/100km against the Forester’s 6.2L/100km. Both only require 91 RON fuel. 

The Forester is better suited to off-road driving, with a substantial ground clearance of 220mm and all-wheel drive on all variants. The Sportage’s clearance is a more road-hugging 181mm and all-wheel drive costs extra.   

Safety and practicality  

Both the Forester and Sportage have 5-star ANCAP safety ratings, with the Forester being most recently rated by ANCAP in 2024.  

A significant downside for the Forester Hybrid in the eyes of many potential owners will be that it does not come with a spare tyre of any kind. In contrast, all variants of the Sportage come with a spare, with a space saver in the hybrid and a full-sized spare in non-hybrid versions.  

It’ll be important to drive both of these enough to see which of the driver attention and speed monitoring systems in these two suits you better. We found the Subaru’s version to be better calibrated and less intrusive.   

Verdict  

The new Subaru Forester is among the most compelling medium-sized SUV options out there. It’s a far better performing and better value vehicle than its hybrid predecessor. And the drivetrain’s full-time all-wheel drive is preferable over other part-time all-wheel drive systems. There are many good reasons why the Kia Sportage is among the top ten sellers, with its refinement and on-road manners among them, but it also costs nearly $3000 more for the all-wheel drive hybrid. Which is why it’s the Forester this time.      

Subaru Forester Hybrid 

Specifications     

ENGINE: 2.5-litre petrol/electric hybrid  

POWER: 145kW (combined) 

TORQUE: N/A 

CLAIMED FUEL ECONOMY: 6.2L/100km 

PRICE: $52,770 

ANCAP SAFETY RATING: 5 stars  

Kia Sportage  

Specifications     

ENGINE: 1.6-litre turbo petrol/electric hybrid  

POWER: 173kW (combined) 

TORQUE: 367Nm (combined) 

CLAIMED FUEL ECONOMY: 5.3L/100km (AWD) 

PRICE: $55,730 (SX Hybrid AWD) 

ANCAP SAFETY RATING: 5 stars