- Subaru just launched a new hybrid powertrain for the Crosstrek.
- It offers more horsepower than any other Crosstrek and maintains a real AWD system.
- Pricing, specs, and equipment details will follow close to its Fall 2025 launch.
Subaru Crosstrek fans can rejoice. Their favorite spunky little crossover, once nothing more than a lifted Impreza, just got better. For the 2026 model year, Subaru is launching the Crosstrek Hybrid. While the automaker hasn’t spilled the beans on every tiny detail, what it’s telling us now sounds promising.
More Power, Better Economy?
To start things off, let’s talk about numbers. Subaru says the new 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid will come with 194 horsepower. That’s 12 more ponies than in the current range-topping 2.5-liter flat-four engine we tested a few months ago. Will that extra oomph be enough to make this car feel engaging on public roads? Probably not, but it should be quite economical to run.
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We say that because Subaru’s series-parallel hybrid powertrain leverages a small 1.1 kWh lithium-ion battery and a 2.5-liter Atkinson/Miller-cycle four-cylinder engine to produce that power. While it hasn’t said anything about fuel economy figures, we’re confident they’ll be better than in the non-hybrid 2.5-liter engine. More power and better fuel economy sound like a win-win to us.
A Key Difference
On top of that, the engine mates up to a Lineatronic CVT (the only transmission available) and then to all four wheels via Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive system. That’s important because, for the vast majority of players in this space, genuine AWD is a differentiator.
Ed note: We asked Subaru whether the transmission is a traditional CVT or an e-CVT. Subaru explained that while the hybrid transmission is continuously variable, it forgoes the usual belt-and-pulley design for a planetary gearset and electric motors to vary wheel speed independently of engine speed. Despite being an e-CVT, Subaru markets it under the Lineartronic CVT name.
Many hybrids with all-wheel drive actually use the battery and electric motors to power the rear axle. Subaru is going against the grain here by continuing to connect the gas-burning engine to the rear wheels.
The Third Time’s The Charm?
Notably, Subaru has tried to sell a Crosstrek Hybrid two other times but it never took off. It first launched a hybrid version, similar to the 2026 model, back in 2014, but it netted only 2 mpg over the normal car. Subaru gave it another shot in 2019 with a plug-in hybrid variant that provided 17 miles of electric-only range, but it still didn’t catch on.
So, what’s different this time? If Subaru hits the rumored 35-mpg combined fuel economy figure, it would outpace the most frugal Crosstrek currently on sale by 6 mpg. Combine that with the car’s 16.6-gallon fuel tank, and you’re looking at an impressive theoretical range of nearly 600 miles (581 to be exact) between fill-ups.
Other Details
For now, Subaru won’t reveal the pricing on the Crosstrek Hybrid either. We do know that it’ll arrive at dealers sometime in the fall of 2025 as a 2026 model and that it’ll come with two new paint options available. Those include Sand Dune Pearl and Citron Yellow Pearl. A new set of 18-inch dark gray alloy wheels will also be exclusive to the 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid.
Notably, Subaru says that some features, like the 11.6-inch infotainment system, will be “available” on the new car. That makes it seem like we’ll get at least a couple of different Crosstrek Hybrid trims. Current pricing for the Crosstrek tops out at around $33,000 before options.
