Subaru Forester diesel automatic due in 2015

The addition of a self-shifting diesel version of the Subaru Forester has been confirmed by the company's local arm, with an expected arrival in the first half of the year to coincide with a mid-life update of the popular SUV.

The diesel-auto combination should help pick up the brand's sales of its oil-burning Forester, which is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder engine but can only be with a six-speed manual gearbox. The new auto will be a continuously variable transmission (CVT), similar to that seen in the Outback diesel model.

It is understood that diesel currently make up between 10-15 per cent of sales for the Forester, where other SUVs that offer diesel-auto combinations - such as the Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander, Honda CR-V, Ford Kuga and Holden Captiva - typically fare considerably better.