As your local Subaru dealers, we like to keep our customers informed about Subaru developments. Recently, Subaru announced their first every plug-in hybrid vehicle. As a Subaru, it comes as no surprise that the engineers have managed to retain the all wheel drive capability. This car will be known as the Crosstrek Hybrid, and it has an EV range of 27km. Let’s take a closer look at what we’ve learned about this exciting new Subaru car.
The Subaru Crosstrek
The Subaru Crosstrek will be the name for this car as it’s released for the US market only. Essentially, this is a Subaru XV plug-in hybrid car that will get its full debut at the forthcoming 2018 Los Angeles motor show. This PHEV will feature a 2.0L four cylinder “boxer” engine that will be paired with an electric motor. This provides a combined power output of 102kW and 182 Nm of torque. The power is supplied to a hybrid all wheel drive system for effective off roading.
The Hybrid Engine Detailed
There is a dedicated electric motor that’s responsible for starting up the petrol engine. This motor also functions as a generator working in concert with the boxer engine to charge up the cars main battery pack. Then there is a second electric motor that generates 88kW of power and 202 Nm of torque. This motor also drives all the wheels in a hybrid or purely EV mode. The battery will also be recharged through regenerative braking as the drive continues.
Subaru has stated that the PHEV will be capable of operating as a purely electric vehicle that can travel at speed up to 105 km/hr. The onboard main battery pack is an 8.8kWh lithium-ion unit that gives the Crosstrek a range of 27 km during pure electric motor operations. The total combined power output of the system is 110kW, which is very close that of the standard XV 2.0L petrol model. However, despite this Subaru claim that the Crosstrek Plug-in Hybrid is a full second faster in a 0-97 km/hr sprint. The overall range combined will be approximately 772 km, and the battery pack has reduced the available boot space from 589L to 450L.
Other Details
This XV PHEV sill has 18” alloys shod with 225/55 tyres. There will be four paint choices to choose from, and standard features will include: the EyeSight safety system, an 8” touchscreen infotainment system, heated front seats and low profile roof rails.
Australia Availability
The Crosstrek Plug-in Hybrid is set for a launch in the US around Q4 in 2019. However, if they are looking for this car at their local car dealer, Perth drivers will be disappointed. The Subaru Crosstrek is a US only release, and there are no plans to release it here in Australia at the present time. Obviously, if this situation changes, we will be delighted, and we will inform you as soon as we learn more.
If you’re looking for reputable Perth car dealers contact us here at Perth City Subaru and we can arrange a no obligation test drive for you.
