- Third generation of the Crosstrek family
- Powered by a 2.0-liter boxer motor with hybrid assistance
- Striking exterior and interior styling with new 11.6-inch infotainment
- Expected US arrival in 2024
Yoga instructors and fans of "namaste" bumpers stickers rejoice. The all-new Subaru Crosstrek has been unveiled. All the features you know and love have been carried over, packaged underneath a sleek new body.
The overall shape is familiar, but the various elements are edgier. The new front end has smaller headlights and a more prominent grille, while the side view is dominated by the extensive use of black body cladding. These cars you see here are Japanese market prototypes, but the top-spec 18-inch alloys will be a global feature.
Scooby says nine colors will be available, including new options like Offshore Blue Metallic and Oasis Blue.
The interior is familiar, even though it's completely new. The previous touchscreen interface has been ditched, and it borrows the all-new 11.6-inch portrait-oriented unit that made its debut in the WRX. It has the exact same interface, buttons, and air vents, but in the Crosstrek, the dashboard has been lifted slightly to give the driver that enveloped feeling.
The quality is the usual mix of high-grade materials on the dash, doors, steering wheel, and surfaces you regularly interact with. Subaru hasn't revealed the full range of trims yet but stated that standard-grade models will have tricot cloth seats with silver stitching, while leather is available as a factory-installed option.
We appreciate that Subaru seems to have spent most of the development cash on enhancing the driving experience. The Japanese manufacturer went as far as designing new seats that prevent pelvis motions from being transferred to the head and seat mounts attached directly to the body. Subaru says this decreases vibration and provides a more comfortable, high-quality ride experience. Scooby even used a new elastic adhesive that absorbs vibrations and has better sound insulation properties.
The Crosstrek still rides on Subaru's global platform but with increased structural strength and rigidity in suspension connections. The dual-pinion electric power steering has been tuned to remove response lag but retains the variable-gear ratio system.
The chassis is far from the weakest attribute of the current model. We'd go as far as saying the current Crosstrek provides a level of engagement that's hardly required in a compact crossover. But the entire package is let down by a gutless 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine on lower trims and a deeply dimwitted CVT transmission.
The engine and symmetrical all-wheel-drive systems have been carried over, but an e-Boxer electric motor is now standard across the range, a hybrid system with a small electric motor bolted to the CVT gearbox to provide loads of low-down grunt, taking care of the current car's biggest problem.
Power outputs have not been confirmed, but in the current Crosstrek - or XV as it's known in Japan - this same setup produces 143 horsepower and 139 lb-ft, with the electric motor generating 13 hp and 48 lb-ft. These figures are less than the US-spec base model, so expect tweaks or altogether different powertrains when it arrives stateside.
The tiny motor is strong enough to move the Crosstrek at speeds up to 25 mph.
Subaru's EyeSight safety suite is a standard feature but with new cameras. The new cameras provide roughly double the angle of view compared to the current system. Image recognition and control software have been improved to recognize objects at wider angles and farther distances. The existing suite of advanced safety features will be carried over and includes pre-collision braking and throttle management, lane centering, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control.
The new Crosstrek will be launched in Japan before finding its way to the rest of the world. It will likely arrive in the US as a 2024 model, as 2023 MY info has already been published. When it arrives, it may sport a larger 2.5-liter option as well.