2019 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid First Drive: The Overachiever

The 2019 Crosstrek Hybrid is trying to outshine the rest of the Subaru family by trying to do it all.

The first-generation Subaru Crosstrek arrived in 2013 and aimed to capture the hearts of city-dwellers that spend their weekends outdoors. Customers who desired a compact SUV (or is it a lifted hatchback?) with off-road chops to travel beyond city limits began to take note of the Crosstrek’s credentials. With each model year, it built up its stature in the market, outselling itself again and again. In 2018, Subaru sold 280 percent more Crosstreks than it did the year the car launched five years ago, making it the brand’s third-best overall seller.

With the second-generation Crosstrek now a year old and selling in large numbers, the time is right for Subaru to add a new plug-in variant to the range. That’s right: though the car wears “Hybrid” in its title, owners can recharge the Crosstrek Hybrid by plugging it into a wall outlet (or at various charging locations across the country), making it the most fuel-efficient model in the Subaru family. Like any overachieving kid, the new plug-in wants to be the best at just about everything and spends a fair amount of time looking squarely at its non-hybrid sibling, sticking up its nose, and proudly teasing “anything you can do, I can do better.”

Under the Crosstrek Hybrid’s skin is an advanced powertrain with a lot to cover, even by PHEV standards. We start with a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle boxer engine and an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (eCVT). Subaru tweaked those elements to work alongside two motor-generators, one positioned just behind the front axle and the other just in front of the rear axle. An 8.8-kWh lithium-ion battery pack protrudes into the Crosstrek’s cargo area and provides 17 miles of all-electric range.

Some of the Crosstrek’s plug-in hybrid technology does come from Toyota. The Crosstrek’s battery stacks, for example, are found in the Prius Prime, and the two motor generators come from the Camry Hybrid. And although it’s similar in concept to Toyota’s transmission, Subaru did develop the eCVT in the Crosstrek Hybrid. But despite these similarities, the Subaru’s always-on all-wheel-drive system falls short of the Prius Prime’s 25 miles of all-electric range.

The Crosstrek Hybrid achieves 35 miles per gallon combined and the equivalent of 90 MPG when operating on electricity alone, which clearly bests the standard Crosstrek’s combined 25 MPG. A full charge takes five hours using a standard 120-volt outlet and two hours using a 240V plug. The 2.0-liter gas engine alone is good for 139 horsepower, though total system output is 148 horsepower, with 149 lb-ft of torque available from zero RPM, thanks to the electric motors.