Subaru has officially announced plans to launch its
first plug-in hybrid model. Set to go on sale in the United States towards the
end of the year, the 2019 Crosstrek Hybrid promises to be an “advanced,
eco-friendly version” of the popular crossover.
The company is keeping detailed specifications under
wraps but they confirmed the model will ride on the Subaru Global Platform as
it has been designed to accommodate hybrid and electric powertrains. While it
will ride on a Subaru platform and use one of the company’s four-cylinder boxer
engines, the Crosstrek Hybrid will have a Toyota-sourced plug-in hybrid system.
Subaru says the all-wheel drive model will have the
same capabilities as the standard Crosstrek but with the added benefit of
improved fuel efficiency. The company went on to say the model can be powered
exclusively by electricity or by a combination of the car’s petrol engine and
electric motor. The Crosstrek Hybrid will be unveiled later this year and the
company says it will have “unique styling” to reflect its eco-friendly
powertrain.
While Subaru didn’t go into specifics, the company’s
chief technical officer, Takeshi Tachimori, previously suggested the model will
be heavily influenced by the Toyota Prius Prime. As a result, the crossover
will likely use the same plug-in hybrid system which features an electronically
controlled continuously variable transmission, two electric motors and an 8.8
kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
There’s no word on how powerful the Crosstrek Hybrid
will be, but the Prius Prime has a combined output of 121 hp. The model
can also travel up to 25 miles (40 km) on electricity alone. Tachimori has
previously suggested the car will be available initially in states that follow
California’s Zero Emission Vehicle program. This means the Crosstrek Hybrid
could be launched in California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New York
and Oregon.
