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The Subaru Crosstrek could gain a Strong Hybrid powertrain like the Forester, says the Australian arm's boss, and he's not ruling out a third EV either.
Electric Cars
A more powerful hybrid version of the small SUV Subaru Crosstrek, as well as a third electric model, are under consideration for Australia, the brand has confirmed.
Currently, the Subaru Crosstrek is sold in Australia with the option of pure petrol or mild-hybrid power.
All versions use Subaru’s 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder Boxer petrol engine, but in petrol grades it produces 115kW/196Nm, while in the mild-hybrid variants it makes a lower 100kW/182Nm.
However, Subaru has now confirmed with Drive that a Toyota-derived hybrid, such as found in the Forester ‘Strong Hybrid', with more power and improved efficiency, is on the cards for the Crosstrek.
“Watch this space,” General Manager of Subaru Australia, Scott Lawrence, told Drive.
“We’re working with Subaru Corporation [in Japan] on a few different options.”
The Strong Hybrid system, which debuted in the Forester in 2025, combines a 121kW/212Nm version of Subaru’s 2.5-litre engine with a 90kW electric motor and 1.1kWh battery for a combined output of 145kW.
Combined fuel consumption for the current Crosstrek is rated at 7.2L/100km for the petrol and 6.5L/100km for the hybrid. The Forester Hybrid has a claimed fuel economy of 6.2L/100km.
A more powerful hybrid grade would be more expensive than the current top-spec version of the Crosstrek, the Hybrid S, which costs $47,590 before on-road costs.
Not entirely off the table, but quite unlikely is a non-hybrid version of the Crosstrek that uses Subaru’s 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, as found in the Outback wagon.
“Crosstrek turbo is a discussion point. I would say, it would not be as high on my agenda as the Strong Hybrid, for example,” said Lawrence.
“Nowhere in the world is there a market for Subaru that has a turbo in the Crosstrek. So we could have it, but it would be tricky to get.”
At the launch of the new Outback in February, Subaru brought along an example of the Trailseeker EV, which is confirmed to arrive in our market between April and June this year.
It joins the Solterra to become the second electric vehicle from the Japanese car maker available locally.
Its third electric car, the Subaru Uncharted, unveiled last year as part of its partnership with Toyota, is not yet confirmed for Australia. But when questioned, Lawrence hinted it could be one of the next models on its way.
“Watch this space again, I can't unveil everything in one go,” he laughed.
“We've been very busy. The last six months have been a very busy time for us. I can’t do everything all at once. But watch this space.”
TheUncharted, which shares its name with the successful action-adventure video game series, is Subaru's version of the upcoming Toyota C-HR+ small electric SUV.
Little detail is yet known about the Uncharted, but models in the US will feature an entry-level front-wheel-drive version, along with higher-spec all-wheel-drive grades.
All-wheel-drive versions of the Subaru Uncharted in the US produce 252kW from two electric motors and are equipped with a 74.7kWh lithium-ion battery, with a driving range rating of 467km based on US EPA testing.
The front-wheel-drive grade, which may not come to Australia, is quoted to offer "more than" 483km.
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A born-and-bred newshound, Kathryn has worked her way up through the ranks reporting for, and later editing, two renowned UK regional newspapers and websites, before moving on to join the digital newsdesk of one of the world’s most popular newspapers – The Sun. More recently, she’s done a short stint in PR in the not-for-profit sector, and led the news team at Wheels Media.
