The next-generation hybrid system that will be used in the Subaru Forester and Crosstrek will likely provide a step up in horsepower when it arrives in the US for these models.
Subaru has confirmed the Forester Hybrid at the 2023 Los Angeles auto show. Due to arrive in US dealerships late next year as a 2026 model, it has already been tested.
2025 Subaru Forester
It will be the first time Subaru offers a hybrid version of the Forester in the US, but it previously sold the Crosstrek Hybrid here, with a plug-in hybrid powertrain based on Toyota sources. The plug-in hybrid Crosstrek was discontinued after the 2023 model year. A report earlier this year revealed that a new Crosstrek Hybrid is also bound for the US, with the same powertrain as the Forester Hybrid.
The new Crosstrek Hybrid has already been introduced in Japan with a powerful powertrain called “Strong Hybrid” by Subaru. It was also developed in collaboration with Toyota, which provided an electric motor and a 1.1-kwh battery pack to complement Subaru's 2.5-liter flat-4 engine and all-wheel drive system. It is increasingly likely that the next hybrid will not have a charging port.
2025 Subaru Crosstrek
Subaru said it expects 20% lower fuel consumption from the system, which produces 158 hp from the gasoline engine and 88 hp from the electric engine. The current US-market Crosstrek comes standard with a 2.0-liter flat-4 making 152 hp, with an optional 2.5-liter flat-4 pushing output to 182 hp. The Forester is only sold with the bigger engine, but Subaru lists the output as 180 hp.
The partnership between Subaru and Toyota extends to all electric vehicles. The Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X SUV are the only EVs sold by their respective brands in the US. and hopes for 50% EV sales by 2030.