Report: Subaru to add Crosstrek Hybrid, lean on Toyota for EVs

Subaru will lean on Toyota for three more electric crossovers through 2026, but it first will revive the Crosstrek Hybrid, Automotive News reports.

The previous Crosstrek Hybrid was actually a plug-in hybrid, which borrowed powertrain components from Toyota. It was launched for the 2014 model year and lasted for two generations before being discontinued after model year 2023.

2023 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid

2023 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid

The report says the new Crosstrek Hybrid will feature the same “next-generation hybrid system” as the upcoming 2026 Subaru Forester Hybrid, coming next year.  If the rumors prove true, The Forester Hybrid lineup might also include a version with a charge port.

Subaru last summer confirmed an accelerated EV plan, including four additional battery-electric models to be introduced by the end of 2028, with at least one of those set to be built in the U.S. Now we know that three of those are Toyota-based. Subaru also last year committed to the Tesla NACS charge port for future EVs.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky

One of the Subaru EVs will be a version of the Toyota three-row electric SUV, rumored to be called the bZ5X, scheduled to be built in Kentucky starting in 2025, according to the report. It’s one of two such models confirmed by Toyota for U.S. production. A second three-row electric SUV is slated to be built in Indiana in 2026.

Subaru’s Solterra remains its only EV, and it’s also Toyota-based (it’s a virtual twin of the Toyota bZ4X). Subaru introduced it for the 2023 model year, and the 2024 Subaru Solterra gets faster charging as well as a low-speed hand-free driver-assist system.

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