Key Highlights – 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid
⚡ Power: 194 horsepower
🛣 Fuel Economy: 36 mpg combined (EPA)
📦 Cargo: 18.6 cu ft behind rear seats; 85.7 cu ft max (with seats folded)
🎯 Price: From $35,415 including destination
🏆 Safety: Standard Subaru EyeSight driver aids
🎵 Tech: 11.6" touchscreen, 12.3" digital cluster
First Impressions: How the New Crosstrek Hybrid Drives
Since its introduction in 2012 as a taller take on the Impreza hatchback, the Crosstrek has become an increasingly popular option. It's proven to be a great choice for buyers looking for something a little smaller and a little more affordable than the ever-growing Forester. And while Subaru was early to offer a hybrid version of the Crosstrek, even one with a plug for a little while, those electrified options have always felt somewhat half-baked.
Now the Crosstrek Hybrid is back, and in what feels like its fully evolved form. For the 2026 model year, the Crosstrek Hybrid has more power and efficiency than before, with fewer compromises and even a few choice tech and interior upgrades. With an MSRP of $35,415, just$3,370 more than the equivalent gas-only Crosstrek, it's hard to ignore.
Crosstrek Chronology
The first Crosstrek Hybrid hit the market way back in 2014. It was only a mild hybrid setup, basically just a bigger starter and battery to give it a little extra power and fuel economy. It delivered 30mpg combined, an increase of just 2 mpg over the base car.
That version ran until 2016, eventually succeeded by a new Crosstrek Hybrid in 2019. That one had a bigger battery and a plug, enabling 17 miles of all-electric range. But in exchange for that, Subaru raised the floor in the hatch by a few inches, a storage compromise that was hard to ignore whenever you made a run to the grocery store.
For 2026, the Crosstrek gets a new hybrid system that offers more efficiency than before without dramatically cutting into any cargo space. There's no plug this time and no all-electric range, but the new system delivers a combined 36 mpg per the EPA, with a little extra power to boot.
Two Electric Motors and One Engine
The new Crosstrek Hybrid's drivetrain is taken more or less wholesale from the new Forester Hybrid, which debuted earlier this year. The heart of the system is a 2.5-liter engine using Subaru's trademark horizontally opposed arrangement, an engine design that keeps the car's center of gravity low.
That engine is augmented by a pair of electric motors. One is basically an up-rated starter that not only fires the car up but harvests energy for recharging the 1.1-kilowatt-hour battery pack. That pack is located beneath the floor of the hatch, but it's small enough this time to minimally compromise the little SUV's storage. Hybrid owners will find 18.6cubic feet of capacity in the rear hatch versus 19.9 in a standard Crosstrek.
Want charging fundamentals for first-time buyers? Overview of Electric Car Charging
A second electric motor is integrated into the Crosstrek's continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and center differential. This one's responsible for helping the car move and also handling regenerative braking.
The result of all that is a drivetrain that maintains Subaru's mechanical all-wheel drive system while also boosting power and efficiency. Combined power output is 194 horsepower, up from 180 in the base Crosstrek, while the EPA rating is a nice, even 36 mpg in the city, 36 on the highway, and 36 mpg combined.
Other Upgrades
The Crosstrek Hybrid doesn't just get motor sand a bigger battery pack. Subaru also chose to add a few additional features over the base SUV, including a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat and a power sunroof. Step up to the $34,995 Hybrid Limited and you also get a few other niceties, like gray StarTex upholstery with orange stitching and a10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system. All that's on top of the Crosstrek's standard EyeSight active safety system, LED headlights, and all-wheel drive.
Subaru also spices things up with a few new colors only available on the Hybrid: Sand Dune Pearl and Citron Yellow Pearl. The latter is what you see here, a subtly metallic chartreuse that won't be fit for everyone's palate, but certainly stood out in the mountains around Portland, where I did my driving.
More Power, Less Patience Required
Since its inception, the Crosstrek has never been what you'd call a fast car, nor even a brisk one. It's a machine that's been focused on frugality and, by extension, often requires a good bit of patience when pulling away from traffic lights and the like.
The Hybrid edition isn't a huge leap forward in that regard, but it did feel more sprightly than the 14-horsepower gain might indicate. The electrification here added some much-needed throttle response to the equation, the feeling of engagement that a CVT often conspires to degrade.
You won't be dusting any Porsches when pulling away at the line, but you'll spend a lot less time with your foot all the way to the floor trying to keep up with traffic. It's a nice increase in feel that worked well with the rest of the car's dynamics.
Compared to the Toyota Corolla Cross or the Honda HR-V, the Crosstrek has always been more nimble, and that continues here. The steering was light but quick, making for a car that's eager and fun to drive despite a relatively soft suspension and noticeable body roll.
All-Road Champ
That soft suspension delivered a remarkably good ride quality in the Crosstrek over all sorts of terrain. My drive loop saw me covering smooth and rough roads, plus plenty of gravel, and the new Hybrid was comfortable through the worst of it, even an extended section of wash boarding.
About the only thing that disappointed me during my drive was the plastic nature of the interior, particularly the fake carbon fiber imprint on the dashboard. But that dash is at least running Subaru's latest tech package, which includes an 11.6-inch vertically oriented display with integrated navigation and other features.
Behind the steering wheel, the Crosstrek Hybrid in the Limited trim also has a digital dashboard that features a variety of displays that you can cycle through, including Apple Maps if you're using CarPlay. Android Auto is supported as well, but sadly, you can't get Google Maps in the gauge cluster.
Overall, though, the new Crosstrek Hybrid looks to deliver. It's blissfully free of compromises compared to previous electrified versions of Subaru's smallest SUV and feels eminently worth the premium.
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