Subaru of America Inc has announced that it will unveil the XV Crosstrek Hybrid – its first ever production hybrid – at the upcoming New York International Auto Show.
The new hybrid is based on Subari’s upcoming 2013 XV Crosstrek crossover. The company recently unveiled the concept Viziv diesel hybrid at the Geneva Show, and industry watchers expected the company to follow up soon with a production version. The company claims that the new hybrid would be “the most fuel-efficient all-wheel drive hybrid crossover in America”.
The 2014 XV Crosstrek Hybrid uses a Boxer engine to power the the signature Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system combined with a hybrid system engineered in-house by the company. Current non-hybrid XV Crosstreks use a naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre horizontally-opposed Boxer engine combined with either a five-speed manual transmission or a continuously variable setup. Other highlights include 17′ alloy wheels, 220mm (8.7”) ground clearance, all-season tyres, raised roof rails, and a flexible cargo area. Subaru’s fans had hoped that the company would follow up its selling of diesels in Europe by also selling diesels in the US; the company has however decided that hybrids are a better fit for the US market for now. In addition to the XV Crosstrek Hybrid, Subaru also announced that it would unveil a new high-performance concept car at the NY Auto Show, beginning on March 27, 2013.
