Having a hybrid in the stable is a must for all carmakers in 2026. Best believe car buyers will start looking elsewhere as soon as they realize there isn’t any electrified option in a certain brand’s lineup.
Luckily for Subaru, it already has two. First is the Forester e-Boxer, which launched about a year ago; second is the Crosstrek e-Boxer, which landed in our market just a few months ago. I tested that same Forester when it was new, and recently, I was given the chance to take the Crosstrek Hybrid for a spin.
There are plenty of reasons to be excited, right? Without spoiling too much, let’s just say some expectations for this hybrid weren’t exactly met.
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Styling
Of course, the design is as good as it’s ever been. Or bad, depending on which side of the fence you’re on. I myself have always liked the old XV’s design, and seeing as Subaru didn’t drastically change the silhouette for this generation, I still fancy the Crosstrek’s look.
I admit it might not age well, but currently, it’s one of the more stylish models in this crossover-crazy market. The Crosstrek has just enough aggressiveness courtesy of the sharp and visible lines up front, and the black cladding underneath adds a bit of ruggedness. The latter also reminds you that the Crosstrek can take on trails if you need it to. But more on that later.
I’m not the biggest fan of chrome, but I think that reflectorized trim adorning the grille and flanked by the headlights adds just enough shine to the overall vibe. Said chrome strip matches nicely with the two-tone wheels, too.
Interior
Hear me out: A big screen in the middle doesn’t automatically make a car’s aging cabin look new. At first glance, it might, but once you get proper seat time with the car, you’ll start to realize just how dated the interior is. That’s the case here in the Crosstrek e-Boxer: I’ve seen all of this before in the WRX, the WRX Wagon, and the Forester e-Boxer.
Now, that doesn’t mean that the Crosstrek Hybrid’s interior is bad (it’s not). It’s functional, and there’s a decent mix of materials all around. That said, you can’t just keep ignoring the fact that this interior has been showing its age for quite some time. The build quality is superior as ever, and I’m not really one to complain about having too much plastic, but I honestly think the Crosstrek’s interior needs a refresh. I’m not asking for a plethora of premium, soft-touch materials—just an overhauled design that’s more apt for an ‘all-new’ model.
Complaints aside, I did say this was functional. Not because there’s an abundance of storage options inside (there isn’t), but because the space is decent. Four passengers will have plenty of room inside the Subaru Crosstrek e-Boxer. Unfortunately, a fifth passenger might have a more difficult time staying comfortable, as the center console up front and the transmission tunnel at the center eat up a lot of floor space in the back. So...I guess ‘functional’ for the usual 2+2 family?
Cargo capacity remains decent, though. There’s room for a few pieces of luggage, and you can cover up the trunk with the standard tonneau cover. If you need to haul larger items—like in my case, a 65-inch television—you can fold the second-row seats flat to open up more real estate. Just mind the width of the vehicle itself, as you might find it harder to carry large items. My TV was an inch away from not fitting inside the Crosstrek.
Engine performance
I know I sounded like I didn’t like the interior all that much, but that wasn’t even my least-favorite bit about the Crosstrek e-Boxer. It’s the powertrain. It’s finally a hybrid, so it should’ve been a resounding ‘hooray,’ right? If this were the Forester e-Boxer’s 2.5-liter engine, then probably.
Instead, what the Crosstrek gets is a 2.0-liter boxer engine paired with a single electric motor that together put out 154hp and 196Nm of torque. It’s not lackluster as far as output goes, because while you will hear the engine grunting when you’re trying to pick up speed or go uphill with a fully loaded cabin, it’ll still be able to get you where you need to be. In fact, it even feels quite lively when you shift to Sport mode via the SI-Drive. Subaru’s Lineartronic CVT does a good job of mimicking traditional gearboxes, after all. My biggest complaint is with the engine’s fuel efficiency.
The Forester e-Boxer wasn’t excellent, but at least it yielded double-digit kilometers-per-liter figures in the city. The Subaru Crosstrek e-Boxer, meanwhile, struggled to get me to 9km/L with heavy traffic in Metro Manila. Mix that with plenty of highway driving, and you’re only looking at 11.5km/L or so. That’s dismal. Even the non-hybrid competitors like the Honda HR-V and the Mitsubishi XForce get better economy than that.
The main culprit here is weight. The Crosstrek is significantly heavier than other subcompact crossovers, weighing in at more than 1,600kg. The only reason the Forester chugged less fuel was that it had a much more powerful hybrid setup, hence a better power-to-weight ratio. I understand sticking with a smaller boxer mill helped keep the price tag of the Crosstrek down, but a bigger engine could’ve brought down costs at the pump.
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Ride and handling
What makes the Crosstrek much heavier than its rivals is Subaru’s signature Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive system. That drivetrain comes at the cost of fuel economy, but of course, it also translates to exceptional handling, especially when you factor in the actual weight of the vehicle. It remains planted through corners, and while you will need momentum to get through twisties at speed, you’ll find the Crosstrek perfectly stable on spirited drives.
The AWD system also means you can take the Crosstrek e-Boxer off-road, which isn’t something you can say for a lot of hybrids in the segment. I strictly drove it on asphalt, but I’m sure that even on light to medium trails, this will be just fine. Just use Subaru’s patented X-Mode and the vehicle should do most of the heavy lifting.
On paved roads, the Crosstrek rides like a proper crossover. It’s comfortable even through the usual road imperfections, and the cabin is kept decently quiet even when you’re at speed on the highway. Driving it in the city is also quite easy since the steering feels light, and visibility is excellent from behind the wheel. Maneuvering tight spaces also shouldn’t be too difficult, though a 360-degree camera would’ve been a good addition, especially for newbie drivers.
Extra features
Yes, there’s a lack of a 360-degree-camera here. All you get is a wide-angle reversing camera with subpar quality. There’s also no power tailgate, and the instrument cluster isn’t fully digital—this is what I meant when I said the interior feels old.
There is that massive center screen, though. That’s an 11.6-inch touchscreen display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It’s mated to a six-speaker system that feels very mediocre compared to the other audio setups you get in the more premium Subarus.
Having complained about all that, there’s still one saving grace in this department, and it’s Subaru Eyesight 4.0. The safety suite is still one of the best in the market. There’s adaptive cruise control with lane-centering control and lane-keep assist. There’s also forward-collision warning and mitigation. There are multiple driver profiles available, too.
Verdict
Frankly, though, EyeSight alone won’t make me say that the Crosstrek is worth nearly P2 million in 2026 or 2027. Its price tag did remain unchanged even with the arrival of the hybrid powertrain, but it didn’t really get much added value. It’s still a good-handling car with a functional interior and stylish looks (again, it depends), but at the end of the day, it doesn’t stack up well enough against the other bang-for-your-buck offerings in the market right now.
If all-wheel drive and a tried-and-tested ADAS package is what you’re looking for, sure, go check out this Subie. But if you’re eyeing a practical, fuel-efficient hybrid that won’t break the bank, you have plenty of alternatives. I’m sure those alternatives will also get you more solid and modern interiors, too.
SPECS: 2027 Subaru Crosstrek e-Boxer
Price: P1,998,000
Powertrain: 2.0-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder + single electric motor
Power: 156hp
Torque: 196Nm
Transmission: continuously variable
Layout: all-wheel drive
Seating: 5
Score: 8/10
More photos of the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid 2027:
