2019 Subaru Crosstrek Plugin Hybrid

[Daox]

I wasn't even aware that Subaru had a Crosstrek hybrid! And this seems to be the reason why... A sad 3 mpg boost in town. Highway? The exact same rating as the automatic.



Wow... so not impressive. And with the lowest rated 5 speed manual trouncing both the auto and hybrid in real world mpg. Not a ton of reason to get the hybrid eh?

So, lets hear about the fancy new plugin version.

https://www.autoblog.com/2018/11/19/...d-phev-review/

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While this thing looks every bit a Subaru, even if you pop the hood to take a look at the 2.0-liter boxer engine up front, the 2019 Crosstrek Hybrid borrows its PHEV technology from Toyota – more fruit of the partnership that bore the Scion FR-S and the BRZ. It has the same 8.8-kWh lithium-ion battery pack as the Prius Prime, but in the bigger, heavier Subaru it's only good for a modest 17 miles of all-electric range.

And the specs:

Engine: 2.0L Boxer-4 + e-motors
Power: 148 HP
Transmission: CVT
0-60 Time: 9.3 Seconds
Drivetrain: All-Wheel Drive
Engine Placement: Front
Curb Weight: 3,726 Lbs.
Seating: 2+3
Cargo: 15.9 / 43.1 Cu. Ft.
MPG: Up To 90 MPGe
Base Price: $35,970
As Tested Price: $38,470

[19bonestock88]

Honestly I have no idea why Subaru doesn’t apply the hybrid tech to the lighter and smaller frontal area Impreza... the one my ex had was geared pretty well with the base model wheel/tire size and if you drove it gently you could have trips come in over 40mpg on its FCD...

I think the issue with the Crosstrek hybrid is that they used the Crosstrek as it’s base... 148hp moving 3700lb probably feels a little underpowered, making drivers have to use lots of right foot to get moving... couple that with the long “1st gear” in that CVT (it would do 50mph by the time you had wound the engine out to peak power) and the taller stance and there’s no wonder why it performs so poorly...

[redpoint5]

148 hp combined? What is the non-hybrid power rating? That's pathetic for a 2L engine alone, not to mention the electric motors should be adding another 50hp.

Still, I'm intrigued. My wife has wanted one of these for a while now, and that's the only car she has specifically mentioned as liking.

I wonder, is the cargo floor flat with the seats folded forward?

Does this have a heat pump, grid heater, or rely on engine heat?

Toyota managed to go completely beltless with the gen III Prius. I wonder if this is beltless too?

Originally Posted by 19bonestock88

Honestly I have no idea why Subaru doesn’t apply the hybrid tech to the lighter and smaller frontal area Impreza... the one my ex had was geared pretty well with the base model wheel/tire size and if you drove it gently you could have trips come in over 40mpg on its FCD...

I think the issue with the Crosstrek hybrid is that they used the Crosstrek as it’s base... 148hp moving 3700lb probably feels a little underpowered, making drivers have to use lots of right foot to get moving... couple that with the long “1st gear” in that CVT (it would do 50mph by the time you had wound the engine out to peak power) and the taller stance and there’s no wonder why it performs so poorly...

Hybrid drivetrains make more sense the heavier you go, not the lighter. There's no point in the Gen I Insight, for instance.

That said, an eCVT is not the same as the CVT used in the "automatic" versions of the Subaru. There's no reason the engine couldn't be at peak horsepower instantly using an eCVT.

I'm curious what the 0-60 time is for the auto vs this plug-in.

I don't know why companies throw away their federal tax credit benefits by building these smaller batteries. If a company had any sense, they would build the minimum size battery that qualifies for the full rebate amount like what was done with the Chevy Volt.

[Daox]

My guess on engine output is they atkinsonized it or something, because the non-hybrid 2.0L has more horsepower than the hybrid.

[ME_Andy]

I'm intrigued by the Crosstrek because of its offroad capability. If you had a really short (like, 5-mile) trip to work, it could make a lot of sense.

[19bonestock88]

Originally Posted by Daox

My guess on engine output is they atkinsonized it or something, because the non-hybrid 2.0L has more horsepower than the hybrid.

That was my guess too... I literally read the review this morning, Automobile listed specs of 130-something HP/TQ for the engine alone, which leads me to think they are applying some sort of simulated Atkinson cycle by way of the VVT...

The FB20 in its normal form feels punchy under 60mph(in the Impreza with its CVT) but if you punched it on the highway it felt like it was asleep...

IMO they need to stick the FB25 from the Legacy into the Impreza and Crosstrek as a sort of stop gap between the base and the WRX...

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by ME_Andy

I'm intrigued by the Crosstrek because of its offroad capability. If you had a really short (like, 5-mile) trip to work, it could make a lot of sense.

It would be fine up to about 10 miles I'd guess. My Prius can do my old commute of 6 miles (1 way) in the summer, but falls about a mile short in winter on a 3.0 kWh battery. So 20 miles round trip would likely be doable, even in winter. If you're careful, I bet that Subie will do 30 miles on a charge.

[vskid3]

Alex on Autos did a video on it, explained most of the questions asked here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ5hdkQrUSU

The engine is atkinson-ized, which helps explain the lower power. It accelerates about a second quicker than the regular for about a 9 second 0-60. The battery raises the cargo floor 4 or 5" (like many PHEVs), you can see it at 7:30 in the video. He doesn't show the rear seats folded, but they won't fold flush unless they're different from the regular Crosstrek's seats. Heat is resistive and will work down to 14F before kicking on the ICE for heat. About 5.5kwh of the battery is usable.

I think it looks like a pretty neat little hybrid. I'm not aware of any other AWD hybrids/PHEVs/EVs that use a mechanical AWD system like the Crosstrek, so it'll probably get you further offroad.

[samwichse]

All that to get to the exact same combined rating as the auto 5-door impreza.

Which is the same car without the lift and the big wheels.

LOL people "needing" SUVs/crossovers.

[redpoint5]

The whole point of a Subaru (for me) is the ability to sleep in the back. If the rear seats don't fold flat, that's an extra hurdle to overcome in easily sleeping back there. Is there a spare tire? If not, there is no excuse for raising the rear up so high for such a small battery.

I'll watch the video since Alex is my favorite auto reporter. So far what I'm hearing is unimpressive, but I'll await the real world data.