The hybrid version has 194 horsepower and 199 lb-ft or torque.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Subaru’s compact Crosstrek is the smallest of the Japanese maker’s three gas-powered SUVs and is really more of a crossover or even a station wagon. I drove it to Ste.-Saveur, Que. on a 1,000-kilometre road trip from Toronto, in the middle of such a snowy winter storm that Highway 401 was closed and I had to detour through Ottawa and onto back roads where the Crosstrek felt right at home.
This is not as rugged a vehicle as its larger Forester or Outback siblings, but a dump of snow was no deterrent. Good quality Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires and all-wheel drive gave me well-deserved confidence behind the wheel. Well-designed seats kept me comfortable and the large “glasshouse” area of windows made sure visibility was consistently good.
I could have had all this for about $33,000 in the basic trim level of the Crosstrek, but my test car was the hybrid edition and, for that more efficient powertrain, the price goes up by $10,000. To buy the hybrid, you must buy the top-of-the-line Crosstrek, with all the bells and whistles.
They’re nice bells and whistles, but Subaru owners have a reputation for being an earthier group. Many Subaru drivers would not care to pay extra for the larger central touchscreen or the 10 Harman Kardon speakers, but they must do so for the more efficient hybrid engine. That’s too bad. It removes the financial incentive to choose the hybrid.
Seats in the Crosstrek e-Hybrid are leather and heated, but not cooled.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
We didn't notice much improvement in fuel consumption over the non-hybrid version.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
The most basic Crosstrek (the Convenience trim) starts at $33,432 before taxes, then increases through three more editions to the loaded Limited trim, which starts at $40,932. The hybrid engine is an option attached only to that Limited trim, and it starts at $43,432. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there. If you want to lease or finance your new Crosstrek, the hybrid will cost you an extra 2 per cent above all the other trims. This means that if you lease or buy over, say, 48 months, the hybrid option will cost about an additional $100 a month above the Limited, or close to $5,000 in total over those four years. That’s pricey.
However, the Crosstrek’s closest competitor is the Corolla Cross, built by Subaru’s occasional partner Toyota, and it’s about as expensive. You don’t have to buy the fully loaded Toyota to get the hybrid but it’s not far off, and the Toyota interest rate is even higher across all versions of the vehicle. Clearly, if you want to save the planet with either the Crosstrek or Corolla Cross hybrids, it’s going to cost you.
Looks
There’s nothing offensive about the appearance of the Crosstrek – no futuristic or aggressive deep creases or wedges. I wouldn’t call it bland, but you’ll be best to choose a distinctive paint colour if you don’t want to lose it in a mall parking lot. Those snazzy 18-inch wheels in photos are exclusive to the hybrid edition.
Interior
The cabin is well put together and comfortable, with reasonable space for four adults or five for a short drive. Seats are leather and heated, but not cooled. The heat is only applied to the centre of the seat cushion, however – the leather was freezing against my thighs after a night of frigid temperatures. (Cue tiny, sympathetic violin …)
There’s a hump in the floor for the driveshaft because all four wheels are physically connected to the drivetrain, unlike other hybrid SUVs, such as the Corolla Cross, that use separate motors attached to the rear axle and therefore don’t need a centre driveshaft. If you like the idea of a permanently applied physical connection for all wheels, the Subaru is the car for you.
The vertical display touchscreen of the tester (all but the most basic Crosstreks have a large, 11.6-inch high-resolution screen) can be a challenge to use when driving.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Performance
Ho-hum. The hybrid is officially a little quicker off the mark, posting acceleration from to 100 kilometres an hour in 8.7 seconds, compared to 9.3 seconds for the non-hybrid. The engine is more powerful, at 194 horsepower compared to the conventional car’s 180 horsepower, but the extra hardware of the hybrid weighs about 155 kilograms. The Crosstrek is not exciting to drive, but it is suitably responsive on all kinds of road surfaces and that’s what provides satisfaction.
Official fuel consumption is 6.5 litres per 100 kilometres for both city and highway driving. I never saw anything like that. My average was 8.9. Granted, the weather was cold, at around minus 10C, which drains fuel more quickly, and I drove faster compared to the posted speeds, but even so. The non-hybrid Crosstrek claims consumption of 9 in the city and 7.1 on the highway, and I should have been able to improve on that.
Technology
The vertical display touchscreen of the tester (all but the basic Crosstrek have a large, 11.6-inch high-resolution screen) is useful and easy to use, but not so much while actually driving – that’s when your finger bounces around trying to tap the correct digital button. Most everything can be achieved by voice commands now, though, so it’s not a big deal.
The hybrid can be set to drive solely on electric power, but there’s little point to this because the gas engine will kick on at almost the slightest demand for power.
Much of the Subaru’s driving assistance is provided through the Eyesight camera system and this shut itself down whenever the lens was obscured by muck from the road. Cruise control, for example, was intermittent. And the driver monitoring was so finicky that it seemed to warn me to wake up if I so much as blinked; I lasted no more than five minutes before disabling it permanently.
Cargo
The hybrid battery is kept under the rear floor and takes away some of the space in the regular Crosstrek. It’s down by 37 litres behind the rear seats and 116 litres when those 60/40 seats are folded flat, leaving 564 litres and 1,549 litres respectively. This is still a generous amount of space, however, and the room for passengers is almost identical.
The hybrid has 564 litres seats up and 1,549 litres seats down, which is slightly less than the non-hybrid because the battery is under the rear floor.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
The verdict
The Crosstrek, now in its third generation, is a pleasant and capable Subaru and one of the least expensive all-wheel-drive vehicles in Canada. The hybrid is a worthy option, but it’s a pricey one. Don’t expect to save the cost of its extra technology with fewer visits to the gas station.
Tech specs
2026 Subaru Crosstrek e-Hybrid
- Price: $43,432 including freight and pre-delivery inspection, plus fees and taxes
- Engine: 2.5-litre boxer-four and electric motor with 1.1-kilowatt-hour battery
- Horsepower/torque (lb-ft): 194/199
- Transmission/drive: Continuously variable transmission/All-wheel drive
- Fuel consumption (litres per 100 kilometres): 6.5 city, 6.5 highway, 6.5 combined
- Alternatives: Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid, Kia Niro Hybrid, Honda CR-V Hybrid, Hyundai Tucson Hybrid
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