When Will Subaru Have Outback Hybrid? Electric and hybrid vehicles have been growing in popularity for the past decade, and just about every automaker has announced plans to roll out at least a few EVs or hybrids soon. Subaru is no exception.
So far, the company has only said that it intends to have electric and hybrid models on the market by 2021, but so far there’s no news about which vehicles will get that treatment first. Many Subaru fans are eagerly awaiting news of an Outback Hybrid model, but with so little information available from the company indicating when one might arrive, it’s hard to say what will happen. This blog post looks at what we know so far regarding different aspects of a potential Outback Hybrid model.
Model Year 2020
If you’re looking for a 2020 Subaru Outback Hybrid, you’ll have to wait at least one more year. The next available model year is the 2021 model year (2020 + 1). The 2020 Subaru Outback Hybrid will be available in late 2020 or early 2021, making it a 2020MY.
Subaru has not announced any changes to their lineup for 2019 yet, so it’s hard to say whether or not they’ll announce a new Outback Hybrid by then. That being said, we can assume that if Subaru does update their lineup in 2019 with an all-new Forester or BRZ/Crosstrek hybrid (or both), they will probably announce these new vehicles first and leave it until later in the year before releasing another all-new model like this one.
Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid
If you’re in the market for a Subaru but live in the US, Canada or the UK, there’s no need to worry. The Japanese automaker has been producing a hybrid version of its Crosstrek compact crossover vehicle since 2013 and it’s available in all three markets.
However, if you’re looking for an Outback Hybrid or similar model that’s available outside North America and Europe—and we’re not just talking about minor trim changes—you may have to wait awhile before your dream comes true. The Outback is only sold outside those regions as far as we know so far; that means Australia and New Zealand are out too!
Two Powertrains
Subaru will offer two powertrain options in the Outback Hybrid, including a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an electric motor. The latter component adds 70 horsepower to the mix, while also boosting torque by 184 pound-feet to 295 lb.-ft.
The Outback Hybrid uses a lithium-ion battery pack that’s good for 14 miles of EV range at speeds up to 62 mph. It also has all-wheel drive with Active Torque Vectoring Control as standard equipment.
What advantages does this hybrid system offer over other models on the market? According to Subaru, it helps minimize emissions while improving fuel economy and reducing costs (to owners). What disadvantages might come along with its use? For one thing, there’s no word yet on whether or not Subaru will offer any additional driving modes beyond sport mode (though they do plan to add “Sport Sharp,” which allows drivers better control over how quickly their cars accelerate).
Electric Motor and Battery Pack
The Outback Hybrid’s hybrid powertrain will consist of a gasoline engine, an electric motor, and a battery pack. The battery pack is mounted in the trunk and under the front seats. The electric motor is mounted under the hood and connected to both the gas engine and battery pack via multi-point connections. This means that it can be connected to either if necessary for maximum efficiency depending on driving conditions or driver input (e.g., whether he/she wants more power or better fuel economy).
Gasoline Engine
The Outback’s standard engine is a 2.5L, 4-cylinder boxer engine paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission. It produces 235 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque.
When you put your foot on the gas pedal in an Outback equipped with this engine, it feels like you’re going to get passed by every other car on the road because acceleration is so slow. If there’s one thing we do not like about this powertrain combination, it’s how slow it accelerates off of a stop sign or red light when compared to other SUVs in its class. The transmission also seems confused sometimes when you’re trying to shift gears while driving up steep hills at highway speeds (i.e., passing another vehicle). Additionally, gear changes can be jerky if you don’t drive smoothly through them—and since these are automatic transmissions without paddle shifters available for manual control, that means you’ll have no choice but to drive smoothly!
Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
The Subaru Outback’s all-wheel drive system, known as Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, is unique to the brand. Most all-wheel drive systems are rear-biased which means that most of the time, only the rear wheels are used for power. This is what you find in many trucks and SUVs with “4×4” badges on their tailgate. Subaru’s system works differently: it uses a center planetary gearset to distribute torque 50/50 between both front and rear wheels at all times.
While this may seem like overkill for driving on pavement (after all, no one expects their car to go off road), it has advantages when you’re trying not just to get through winter but also survive it. If your tires lose traction during icy conditions or while driving in snow or mud—which can happen if they’re under inflated—the symmetrical design ensures that you’ll still be able to steer around hazards without getting stuck by transferring power from wheel to wheel as needed
What if Subaru releases a hybrid Outback?
If the Outback is a popular choice for those looking for a hybrid vehicle, it’s only logical that Subaru would consider releasing an Outback Hybrid. As the second-best selling model in Subaru’s lineup and one of their most reliable vehicles, it makes sense that they’d want to expand their offerings with an improved version of this popular car. But what if they do?
What if Subaru released an Outback Hybrid? It would be interesting to see how customers respond to this decision by the automaker. Although many people who drive SUVs are looking to save money on gas mileage, there are others who don’t mind paying extra money in order to avoid using fossil fuels altogether—even if that means sacrificing some cargo space and comfort features (such as heated seats). However, these aren’t usually people who opt for compact cars or sedans; instead, they tend towards larger vehicles such as minivans or even full-size trucks/SUVs like Ford F250s.
A Subaru Outback Hybrid could be just what Subaru needs to stay competitive
Subaru is a small player in the auto industry. It’s not a luxury brand, nor is it a mainstream brand of any kind (unless you count its Outback Wagons as luxury vehicles). This makes Subaru different from most other automakers, which tend to make their money by selling high-margin products to customers who can afford them.
Instead of focusing on expensive cars or trucks with large profits per unit sold, Subaru sells mid-sized sedans that are affordable enough for mass market consumers but still profitable enough for the company’s margins.
Subaru doesn’t have much competition in its niche except for Toyota and Honda—and those two companies have been selling hybrid versions of their compact crossovers since 2012 and 2013 respectively. If Subaru wants to stay competitive with its rivals and keep growing sales numbers year after year after year, then it might be time consider making outback hybrids available throughout North America!
Conclusion
We can’t say when Subaru will release a hybrid Outback, but we do know that the company has made some moves toward electrification in recent years. For now, fans of the Outback and hybrid technology alike will have to wait. However, it seems likely that an Outback Hybrid is on its way at some point in the future.
