The boss of Subaru Australia is promising more electrification in the pipeline, hinting that there’s “a lot more to come” beyond the Japanese brand’s existing hybrid portfolio.
Speaking with CarExpert, Subaru Australia general manager Scott Lawrence said while he couldn’t share exact plans as yet, there will be “more hybrid across the range”.
“Our response [to NVES] is portfolio-wide [and] product-led, as you would have seen with Forester Hybrid last year, Solterra updates and Trailseeker, with a lot more to come in the broader hybridisation and electrification space,” Mr Lawrence said.
“It is a discussion point, how we expand the hybrid range, and we will see more hybrid across the range – but nothing to share at this point.”
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When asked specifically about the Crosstrek S:HEV ‘Strong Hybrid’ and Impreza ‘e-Boxer’ mild-hybrid Mr Lawrence said he had “no plans” to share at this point in time, but both compact model lines would logically be the next cabs off the rank.
The Crosstrek remains a relatively popular model in the Subaru lineup in Australia, though it has lost some ground in the sales race against the likes of the Hyundai Kona and MG ZS since the current model launched a few years back.
Last year it managed 10,842 new registrations, with just 969 of those (8.9 per cent) being the ‘e-Boxer’ version, which adds a 48V electrical system with low-speed electric drive – hence the ‘Hybrid’ branding instead of ‘MHEV’.
In Japan, the Crosstrek now offers the same S:HEV 2.5-litre hybrid system as the larger Forester, which improves both outputs and efficiency, with a claimed combined driving range of 1000km per tank of fuel.
The larger engine produces 116kW of power. It’s mated to an 88kW electric motor and a 1kWh/260V battery, up from 0.6kWh/188V. The current Crosstrek Hybrid’s electric motor produces just 12kW and 66Nm, while its 2.0-litre engine produces 100kW and 196Nm.
No combined system power or torque figure is available for the new S:HEV powertrain, but Subaru claims it shaves 2.1 seconds off the 0-100km/h time. The longer range is also aided through the use of a larger 64L fuel tank, up from 49L.
It’s also worth noting the Australian-market Crosstrek Hybrid is now the standard drivetrain in the Japanese domestic market, with the base non-assisted petrol engine in Australia discontinued in Subaru’s homeland.
Meanwhile, the related Impreza hatchback doesn’t even offer the e-Boxer option in Australia despite it being available overseas, and despite the enduring popularity of the Toyota Corolla Hybrid locally in the face of plummeting passenger vehicle sales as buyers gravitate to SUVs.
Hybrid vehicle sales continue to accelerate in Australia, with 15.3 per cent growth in 2025 to 199,133 units, driven largely by Toyota’s hugely popular range of hybrids which accounted for 115,953 of these registrations.
Subaru notched up 5150 hybrid sales in 2025, up 84.2 per cent. It placed the Japanese manufacturer eighth in the hybrid sales standings, behind aforementioned Toyota as well as Hyundai, GWM, Lexus, Kia, Honda, and MG.
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