Photo: Subaru
As you might have heard by now, Subaru will introduce a plug-in hybrid vehicle in the United States in 2018. Going on sale for the 2019 model year, the mysterious model will be the first Subaru equipped with an eco-friendly powertrain since the Crosstrek Hybrid (discontinued at the end of model year 2016).
From the very beginning, it was known Subaru would rely on Toyota’s electrification know-how to make the PHEV happen. The Japanese automaker has an in-house electrification division, but the technology isn’t ready for deployment just yet. To this effect, the plug-in hybrid launching in a few months will borrow bits and pieces from the Toyota Prius Prime.
Chief technical officer Takeshi Tachimori told Automotive News that "for our plug-in hybrid to be introduced this year, we have used Toyota's technologies as much as possible.” There’s a twist that needs highlighting, and that is the “longitudinal Subaru engine” instead of the Prius Prime’s inline-four. That's right, ladies and gents; prepare for a boxer-engined plug-in hybrid!
If you were wondering why Subaru is rushing with deploying eco-friendly models, that’s because the new emissions regulations demand this level of efficiency. Another reason why Subaru is relying on Toyota is the limited research & development budget, which is approximately ten times smaller.
Toyota owns 17 percent of Subaru, and in addition to this connection, Subaru joined EV Common Architecture Spirit Co. with Toyota, Mazda, and Denso Corporation to develop electric vehicle technology. Suzuki, Daihatsu, and Hino have jumped aboard since the EV venture was formed in September 2017.
The Subaru plug-in hybrid vehicle coming this year spells the end for turbo diesel-powered models, which are expected to bite the dust in the fiscal year 2020. The Subaru Global Platform is key to battery-powered electric vehicles, with the first in a series of EVs coming in 2021.
Other than the fact it will be built in Japan and exported in the United States of America, we also know that the yet-undisclosed model rides on the Subaru Global Platform used by the Impreza, Crosstrek, and Ascent. On that note, care to guess which of these three will rock down to PHEV avenue?
Chief technical officer Takeshi Tachimori told Automotive News that "for our plug-in hybrid to be introduced this year, we have used Toyota's technologies as much as possible.” There’s a twist that needs highlighting, and that is the “longitudinal Subaru engine” instead of the Prius Prime’s inline-four. That's right, ladies and gents; prepare for a boxer-engined plug-in hybrid!
If you were wondering why Subaru is rushing with deploying eco-friendly models, that’s because the new emissions regulations demand this level of efficiency. Another reason why Subaru is relying on Toyota is the limited research & development budget, which is approximately ten times smaller.
Toyota owns 17 percent of Subaru, and in addition to this connection, Subaru joined EV Common Architecture Spirit Co. with Toyota, Mazda, and Denso Corporation to develop electric vehicle technology. Suzuki, Daihatsu, and Hino have jumped aboard since the EV venture was formed in September 2017.
The Subaru plug-in hybrid vehicle coming this year spells the end for turbo diesel-powered models, which are expected to bite the dust in the fiscal year 2020. The Subaru Global Platform is key to battery-powered electric vehicles, with the first in a series of EVs coming in 2021.
Other than the fact it will be built in Japan and exported in the United States of America, we also know that the yet-undisclosed model rides on the Subaru Global Platform used by the Impreza, Crosstrek, and Ascent. On that note, care to guess which of these three will rock down to PHEV avenue?
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