The Subaru Crosstrek is back as a two-motor series-parallel hybrid, with a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle engine and a lithium-ion battery that can hold about 0.6 kWh of power. There is no information on how much gas it uses, but it’s at least 35 miles per gallon, which, along with the 16.6-gallon tank, means it can go about 580 miles. When it comes out in the fall, the hybrid SUV will have three trim levels: Premier, Sport, and Limited. There have been hybrid Subaru Crosstrek cars in the past, though they looked a little different. The 2014–2016 Crosstrek Hybrid only had a 2-mpg improvement and had a single 13-hp electric motor built into its drive. This made it a pretty basic 160-hp hybrid. With two electric motors, the Crosstrek Hybrid got 5 more miles per gallon between 2019 and 2023. It was too bad that it was an expensive option that could only be bought as a plug-in hybrid with a 17-mile range and an average of 148 horsepower. It was already a bad pick. Implementing the Appropriate Modifications The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid we have now finally has the right mix of features. The main part of this series-parallel hybrid is a 2.5-liter boxer engine that has been changed to run on the Atkinson cycle. The total system output of 194 horsepower is about the same as the non-hybrid 2.5-liter engine’s 182 horsepower. The engine itself has 162 horsepower, thanks to the 118 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque of the main drive motor. The second motor is smaller and doesn’t help the vehicle move forward. It starts the engine and charges the battery as a generator. The word “hybrid” fits this battery perfectly; it’s a small lithium-ion device with about 0.6 kWh of usable power that doesn’t need to be plugged in. This car does not have a standard CVT or torque-converter automatic transmission. Instead, it has an eCVT that connects the engine to both electric motors. It has a new EV drive mode, but the range will be limited by the battery’s size. It also has an X mode for when the ground is slippery. Subaru hasn’t said what the starting weight is, but it will be close enough to the non-hybrid model that the electric version will be lighter than the regular car. It will be more strong off the mark since there is a lot of torque in the electric motor. The main draw of hybrids is, of course, their MPG, but Subaru hasn’t released those numbers yet. There’s more work to be done, but it should be at least 35 mpg. Because it has the same 16.6-gallon tank as a regular car, the hybrid should be able to go 580 miles on a single fill-up. True All-Wheel Drive, Not Electrically Powered Rear Drive Another all-wheel-drive hybrid is the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. It is a front-wheel-drive car with an electric motor in the back. When driving on ice or snow, the front and back feel different because the torque from the front ICE/electric combination is different from that from the rear electric motor. To put it another way, they may feel odd. Because Subaru’s symmetrical AWD is all mechanical, both sides of the car feel the same. It works the same way as any other Subaru AWD system. Subaru thinks the money spent is worth it, even if it means getting fewer miles per gallon. The inside of the Crosstrek Hybrid is the same as the inside of the regular car. The instruments are handled by a 12.3-inch digital cluster of gauges, and the entertainment system is shown on an 11.6-inch screen that looks like a tablet. The rest of the design is practical, with a focus on trailhead utility rather than commuter comfort. Subaru hides the hybrid’s battery pack under the back luggage area, so the raised floor makes it harder to store things behind the back seats. The amount of cargo room dropped from 20 to 18 cubic feet, but it didn’t have a big effect. Even less of a change can be seen when the seats are folded down, giving you 54.7 cubic feet instead of 55 cubic feet. Two new paint colors, Sand Dune Pearl and Citron Yellow Pearl, will be offered for the Crosstrek Hybrid when it comes out in the fall. We’re afraid we won’t know the exact price until the car goes on sale. The base price for the latest Crosstrek that isn’t a hybrid is $27,115, and the Wilderness trim costs $33,915.
