All-New Subaru Baja Hybrid Looks Stylish, Rugged and Efficient Across Imagination Land

The arrival of 2024 brings restrictions on which EVs and PHEVs get tax exemption because America wants to have little to do with battery components sourced from China. That means the list got much shorter and will undoubtedly impact consumers' purchase choices. So, do you know who is going to take advantage of these limitations? Why, it's the old-school hybrid, of course, as the technology has matured enough to make them affordable enough to fight with ICE-powered models.

An interesting example of how hybrids successfully bully ICE-powered models isn't even from Toyota, a traditional supporter of classic hybrids. Instead, we need not look any further than the newly reborn compact pickup truck sector where the ICE- and hybrid-powered Ford Maverick has bullied the ICE-only Hybrid Santa Fe into a small sales corner – all because the Maverick was initially cheaper as a hybrid than as an EcoBoost!

Naturally, the delivery performance attracted a lot of attention and envy from rivaling carmakers – so it is only natural that the rumor mill is whispering about this or that automaker joining the unibody compact pickup truck party in North America. We know that the Ram Rampage could go North and exhibit its Brazil-made looks in the US, too.

But there are also a couple of Japanese automakers that may seek to re-enter the sector. One is Toyota's rumored Stout revival or a potential Corolla Cross derivative. Surprisingly, the other is Subaru. Many unofficial news outlets discuss the possibility of a reborn BRAT, but the two-door coupe utility isn't nearly as adequate as the Baja follow-up since the latter was born and raised between 2003 and 2006 as a proper four-door unibody compact pickup truck.

So, according to the good folks over at the New World NW, AutomagzPro, and Real Automotive channels on YouTube, their respective pixel masters think they nailed the looks of the (unofficial) Baja revival across the imaginative realm of digital car content creators.

The CGI expert from New World NW has the most traditional view of a hypothetical return of the Baja nameplate taking after the Outback and sporting a potent hybrid powertrain with the electrified 2.4-liter boxer churning out no less than 326 horsepower. If you want something futuristic instead, the AI-assisted author from AutomagzPro fully covers us with several different styling options.

Last but not least, the CGI sneak peek at the 2025 Subaru Baja Hybrid from Real Automotive keeps the design as simple as possible and instead focuses on the potential ruggedness of the pocket-sized truck and the choice of different color options. So, which one is your favorite and why?