With its e-Boxer mild-hybrid powertrain and the Toyota-based Solterra, Subaru has dabbled in electrification in the past, but up until now, the Japanese automaker has never produced a true hybrid drivetrain. Later this year, the brand’s next-generation “Strong Hybrid” powertrain will make its debut in the Japanese market with the Crosstrek S:HEV. And its party trick? Just one full tank can provide up to 1,000 km of range.
Subaru’s most recent alliance with Toyota and Mazda produced the new hybrid drivetrain, which is why it shares many electrical components with Toyota. It will still have all of Subaru’s signature features, such as the horizontally opposed boxer engine and the mechanical symmetrical AWD system, so it’s still unquestionably Subaru.
The firm claims that a series-parallel system will power the next generation of hybrid vehicles. This implies that, depending on the driving conditions, the powertrain can smoothly transition between powering the wheels with the engine, the electric motor, or both.
Subaru will continue to employ its recognisable Symmetrical AWD system, which has a mechanical coupling to the powertrain on all four wheels, in contrast to Toyota’s E-Four system, which only uses an electric motor on the back axle for all-wheel drive capabilities.
This is all thanks to a recently-developed transaxle, which houses two electric motors (generator and traction), an eCVT gearbox, front differential gear, and an electronically-controlled coupling, that channels both petrol and electric power to the wheels.
The new 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder boxer engine produces 160 horsepower and 209 Nm, making it more potent than the e-Boxer system that is currently in use. The traction motor in the electrified section can drive the wheels with 120 horsepower and 270 Nm.
Subaru claims this system offers a 20% improvement in fuel consumption over the previous-generation system, translating to a range of over 1,000 km. It is equipped with a larger 63-litre fuel tank (up from 48 litres) and a 1.1 kWh battery to power the motors.
Additionally, the new Strong Hybrid may function as a portable powerbank thanks to its optional vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability, which can generate up to 1.5 kW of power through the boot outlet.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
It’s about time that Subaru came out with a fully blooded hybrid. No more of this mild-hybrid rubbish. Now, with a fully functioning hybrid system—thanks to Toyota—and a larger tank, the Crossover has a range of 1000kms. And I’m pretty sure that Subaru fans will love to hear that the car still has the brand’s signature horizontally opposed boxer engine and mechanical symmetrical AWD system — in contrast to Toyota’s E-Four system, which only uses an electric motor on the back axle to generate all-wheel drive capabilities.