Photo: Subaru
e-Boxer is Subaru talk for an electric motor-assisted hybrid powertrain based on the 2.0-liter boxer engine. Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive is also featured, and for the 2020 model year, the Forester joins the party with this option in the United Kingdom as well.
Subaru’s best-selling nameplate in the UK is capable of pure-electric driving at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour, and the e-motor is juiced up by a lithium-ion battery. Even though it’s a hybrid with a Lineartronic continuously variable transmission and an aspirated powerplant, the Forester e-Boxer is also proficient at towing thanks to a rating of 1,870 kilos.
No fewer than three driving modes are available (EV, Motor Assist, Engine) and Subaru also makes a business case for the X-Mode. The latter is a software-based system meant to optimize the Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive for maximum traction on slippery surfaces. The electric motor and battery are both aligned longitudinally, with the e-motor located near the compact crossover’s center of gravity to further optimize the handling in the twisties.
The battery hunkers down on the rear axle, and Subaru also promises “a natural braking feel and a seamless transition between EV and Engine driving.” Given that Toyota is the company that helped Subaru come up with the e-Boxer and Crosstrek Hybrid plug-in hybrid powertrain, we aren’t exactly surprised about the Japanese automaker’s boastful claim.
X-Mode is also calibrated to help the Forester in the snow and dirt, and in Motor Assist, the electric motor helps the crossover generate torque earlier from a standstill to improve off-road capability. Alloy wheels, an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, e-brake, eight-way power adjustments for the front seats, Side View Monitor, and Reverse Automatic Braking are only a few features coming as standard.
On-the-road, the starting price for the 2020 Subaru Forester e-Boxer in this part of the world is 33,995 pounds sterling. This makes the Forester some five grand more expensive than the XV (a.k.a. Crosstrek) with the e-Boxer option. Customers who would rather go plug-in hybrid can also look at Mitsubishi, which offers the Outlander PHEV at £35,455 OTR.
No fewer than three driving modes are available (EV, Motor Assist, Engine) and Subaru also makes a business case for the X-Mode. The latter is a software-based system meant to optimize the Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive for maximum traction on slippery surfaces. The electric motor and battery are both aligned longitudinally, with the e-motor located near the compact crossover’s center of gravity to further optimize the handling in the twisties.
The battery hunkers down on the rear axle, and Subaru also promises “a natural braking feel and a seamless transition between EV and Engine driving.” Given that Toyota is the company that helped Subaru come up with the e-Boxer and Crosstrek Hybrid plug-in hybrid powertrain, we aren’t exactly surprised about the Japanese automaker’s boastful claim.
X-Mode is also calibrated to help the Forester in the snow and dirt, and in Motor Assist, the electric motor helps the crossover generate torque earlier from a standstill to improve off-road capability. Alloy wheels, an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, e-brake, eight-way power adjustments for the front seats, Side View Monitor, and Reverse Automatic Braking are only a few features coming as standard.
On-the-road, the starting price for the 2020 Subaru Forester e-Boxer in this part of the world is 33,995 pounds sterling. This makes the Forester some five grand more expensive than the XV (a.k.a. Crosstrek) with the e-Boxer option. Customers who would rather go plug-in hybrid can also look at Mitsubishi, which offers the Outlander PHEV at £35,455 OTR.
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