Going greener: Subaru hybrid to debut at New York Auto Show

By Stephen Edelstein January 28, 2013

Subaru has long been associated with Birkenstock-wearing hippies, so it’s only natural that the Japanese carmaker is working on a hybrid. A Subaru official told the Detroit Bureau that the hybrid will debut soon, possibly at the New York Auto Show in March.

Kenichi Yamamoto, director of product management and coordination for Subaru of America, told the Detroit Bureau that parent company Fuji Heavy Industries feels Subaru needs a hybrid to compete in both its home market, where hybrid sales are on the rise, and the United States.

In the U.S., many Subarus qualify as partial zero emission vehicles (PZEV), thanks to the small four-cylinder boxer engines offered in most models, and continuously variable transmissions. However, with most mainstream carmakers offering both conventional and hybrid powertrains in their bestsellers, it’s easy to see why Subaru wants a hybrid of its own.

What will that hybrid look like, though? Subaru gave the world a clue back in 2011 at the Tokyo Motor Show. The Advanced Tourer concept featured a hybrid powertrain, consisting of a 1.6-liter direct-injected boxer engine, a single electric motor, and a lithium-ion battery pack.

A boxer engine will almost certainly provide the petrol power for a production Subaru hybrid. Whether it is the Advanced Tourer’s 1.6 or a bigger version from the Impreza, Legacy/Outback, or Forester remains to be seen.

Which Subaru will get the hybrid powertrain? Fuji Heavy Industries isn’t saying, but the Advanced Tourer was billed as a C-segment car, putting it in roughly the same size category as the Impreza and Forester.

The Advanced Tourer’s hybrid system was designed to work with Subaru’s trademark “Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive,” and it seems likely that the production hybrid will also have all-wheel drive.

That could be one of the Subaru’s biggest selling points. There are only a handful of all-wheel drive hybrids available, and they’re all SUVs.

We’ll get the full scoop on Subaru’s hybrid in late March, when the New York Auto Show opens.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Cars

Best electric car charger deals: $100 off home charging stations

The handle of the Grizzl-E EV charger plugged into a vehicle.

A few years ago, electric vehicles were pretty rare or cost a fortune, but with more and more of the larger car brands getting into the game, there are a lot of excellent and even budget-friendly choices nowadays. That said, the electrical network for charging your cars might not be that widespread, so instead you'll have to rely on charging your car at home. Luckily, there are a lot of excellent car chargers at a discount, so if you've just bought an EV or want to upgrade your current charging solution, be sure to check out our favorite deals below.
Shockflo EV charger — $205, was $220

This EV charger by Shockflo is a Level 2 EV charger, which offers six times faster charging than a standard charger. It delivers 24 miles with just one hour of charging, and it can act as a mobile charger you can throw in the trunk or be mounted to a wall. It has an LCD display with useful information like charging rate, voltage, and charging time, as well as LED indicator lights that lets you know charging progress and errors.

Cars

Mercedes-Benz EQG: range, price, release date, and more

Concept image of the larger electric G-Wagon

The G-Class is going electric. We already knew that Mercedes-Benz was working on an electric, small-size G-Wagon, but it looks like the company is also working on a larger G-Class SUV, in the form of the EQG. In fact, Mercedes has gone as far as to show off a concept version of the off-roader.

While there's much we don't know about what will become the production model of the EQG, Mercedes has also shared a lot about it. Curious about whether the Mercedes-Benz EQG could be the EV for you? Here's everything we know so far.
Design
Fear not -- the EQG will retain many of the design aspects of the G-Class that you already know and love but with a modern face-lift. The EQG will keep the boxy design that gives the G-Class a classic look but with some additional modern styling, at least if the concept version is anything to go by.

Cars

Rivian R2 vs. Kia EV9: battle of affordable electric SUVs

Kia EV9 GT-Line Three Quarters

The long-awaited Rivian R2 has finally been announced, and it's an excellent option for those who want an electric SUV that doesn't completely break the bank. Sure, the R2 isn't cheap -- but it's a whole lot cheaper than most other EVs out there, especially when it comes to SUVs. But Rivian isn't the only company trying to tackle the problem of the budget electric SUV. The Kia EV9 is finally available, and it too offers a modern design and a range of helpful features.

Given the fact that the Rivian R2 and Kia EV9 are two electric SUVs in a similar price range, you might be wondering which is better for your needs. That's why we put the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 head-to-head.
Design
Both the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 are actual SUVs -- not crossovers pretending to be SUVs, like plenty of other EVs out there. The two vehicles offer big, boxy designs and plenty of interior space, making them excellent options for families or those who need that extra storage.