Subaru Forester diesel: Discontinued or can you still buy them?

Subaru has been shifting away from diesel for several years, with hybrid looking likely for the future.

The Subaru Forester’s 2.0-litre diesel was killed-off when the latest-generation Forester was released in the second half of 2018.

The 2.0 litre base petrol engine and the 2.5-litre petrol-turbo engine were also discontinued, leaving a single 2.5-litre non-turbo boxer engine powering 2019’s four-variant Forester range.

Subaru also took the opportunity to discontinue manual versions of the Forester altogether. A Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) is the only option across the Forester range.

The current Forester makes do with one 2.5-litre petrol engine.

While Subaru has not ruled out a return of other engine types for the Forester, it seems unlikely as the 2.5-litre petrol was by far the most popular choice anyway.

The ‘EE20’ diesel boxer engine looks unlikely to return to Subaru’s broader range, with the 2.0-litre turbo unit now only available in two variants of the Outback (producing 110kW/350Nm). Subaru has gone on record before saying that development has stopped on the engine, and it has only received minor tweaks since its 2008 debut in the Forester.

In terms of the Forester’s future, it is likely the medium SUV will eventually be equipped with hybrid drivetrains on the back of Subaru’s partnership with Toyota.

Plug in versions of the XV are a good indicator to the brand's future.

Overseas examples of the Subaru XV small SUV were the first to mate Subaru’s boxer engines with Toyota’s hybrid technology. Subaru expects a plug-in hybrid version of the XV to be available in Australia by the end of 2020.

Would you buy a plug-in hybrid Forester if Subaru released one? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

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