Of course, you’ve already heard that Mazda, Subaru, and Toyota have joined forces to develop internal combustion engines, electrified or otherwise. The three automakers are determined to keep it around for longer, saying that these kinds of powertrains still have a long road ahead of them.
In Subaru’s case, it has set out to further enhance its boxer hybrid engines with a bit of help from its partners. At the moment, there are only two electrified models from the brand, namely, the soon to be outgoing fifth-gen Forester and the current Crosstrek.
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But there might be a third model that will join Subaru’s hybrid lineup. Recently, a trademark has been filed for the name e-Outback, hinting at a gas-electric version of the Subaru Outback down the line.
That said, trademark filings don’t necessarily mean such a model will be build. Oftentimes, manufacturers do this to ‘reserve’ a name they might use. Sometimes, the said name doesn’t get used at all. But it could be different in this case.
Given that Subaru is keen on expanding its hybrid lineup, there’s a strong chance that an electrified Outback could be underway. If so, it would be a solid addition to the range as the Outback is one of the brand’s best-sellers in North America.
The name e-Outback could also suggest a fully electric version of the wagon/crossover, but it’s difficult to say that with certainty. Presently, there is one full electric model from Subaru, the Solterra. The Solterra is the result of Subaru and Toyota’s collaboration to build EVs.
Whether it’ll be full electric or hybrid remains to be seen. But it’s safe to say that a hybrid version of the Subaru Outback will happen eventually given the current state of the automotive industry.
