From a standing stop, like most hybrids, it moves away smartly: Electric motors generate peak torque from 0 rpm, so there’s no revving up time. The claimed 10-percent reduction in highway passing speed was less noticeable. But while earlier Crosstreks were on the slow side, the new hybrid is fine. It’s not fast, but the e-motor smoothes the power delivery and gives the impression of a more willing vehicle. It’s also peppier than the Forester Hybrid, which uses essentially the same powertrain in a larger, heavier vehicle.
Regenerative braking is well integrated and smooth, and the hybrid’s extra noise-suppression material is put to good use. Often I was unaware when the engine switched on and off unless I watched the power gauge—just as it should be in a modern hybrid. Flooring the pedal, of course, produced a fair amount of noise as the engine spooled up to thousands of revs where it generates peak power. But in mixed regular use, the hybrid is definitely the calmest Crosstrek.
Top-of-the-Range Prices
With the Crosstrek firmly entrenched as Subaru’s entry SUV, the company has worked to price the Hybrid, which will start to appear in North American showrooms in November, commensurately.
At $35,415, the base Sport Hybrid is $3,300 more than the even more basic Crosstrek Sport, with some of the difference representing added features. The Limited Hybrid at $36,415 costs only $2,000 more than its internal-combustion-engine counterpart, though again equipment is subtly different. All prices here include the mandatory delivery fee of $1,420—an area where many makers hide recent price rises so they don’t show up on the sticker price.
However, unlike all other Crosstreks, which are built in Subaru’s assembly plant in Indiana, the Crosstrek Hybrids come from Japan. Subaru builds both regular and hybrid Forester compact SUVs in Indiana, so it doesn’t seem impossible that at some point hybrid Crosstreks could be built in the US, too, thereby dodging the 15 percent tariff now set on Japanese auto imports.
