- Subaru has a new-generation hybrid system that goes on sale in Japan in December
- The system uses a new compact engine with improved thermal efficiency
- But there’s no word on when, or if, the powertrain will be coming to North America
Subaru late October debuted its next-generation hybrid system, which will first appear on a Crosstrek for the Japanese market; the automaker presumably has plans to roll it out onto global vehicles. The system includes a newly-developed 2.5L horizontally-opposed engine and transaxle. Subaru said the engine’s compact size allows for a large high-voltage battery and large-capacity fuel tank that would achieve over 1,000 km of range on a single tank of fuel, “the longest range of any Subaru vehicle in history,” at least by the local regulatory test methods.
The series-parallel hybrid system uses either the gasoline engine or the hybrid system’s electric motor to power the wheels, depending on driving conditions. The new engine, developed for the hybrid system, includes high thermal efficiency for reduced fuel consumption; and an integrated power control unit on top of it manages the electric power from the battery, which is located under the cargo floor. On previous hybrid systems, the control unit was close to the fuel tank, and moving it to the engine bay allowed for a 63-litre fuel tank.
Earlier this year, in a joint presentation along with Toyota and Mazda, Subaru CEO Tetsuo Fujinuki said that while a horizontally-opposed engine isn’t the most efficient, it’s a requirement as the automaker’s signature configuration — “If you were just going for efficiency, horizontally-opposed engines are not necessarily always the best option. But what would Subaru be without them? When you think about it, we are the only mass-market brand making horizontally-opposed engines today.”
The new hybrid system also includes Subaru’s signature all-wheel-drive (AWD), with a mechanical coupling rather than a rear electric motor as many hybrids use. The new transaxle, also developed specifically for the hybrid system, contains an 88-kW traction motor, motor-generator, front differential gear, and electronically-controlled coupling.
Subaru said the new system is about 20% more fuel-efficient than the hybrid system it uses on its current vehicles in Japan. The new engine is rated at 158 horsepower and 154 lb-ft of torque. The hybrid traction motor is capable of 118 horsepower and 199 lb-ft of torque, and Subaru said it “can serve as the vehicle’s main source of power in a wide range of situations, with the engine covering areas where the motor is not well-suited.”
The new Crosstrek hybrid goes on sale in Japan in December 2025. There’s no word on if or when the new hybrid system will be coming to Subaru vehicles in North America, and the 2025 lineup already announced is all gasoline-only.
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