Subaru Australia is all set to launch electrified versions of the Forester and XV come March 2020. The company will be pricing the XV Hybrid e-Boxer at $35,580 while the Forester, which will be offered in two trims: L AWD Hybrid and S AWD Hybrid, will be priced from $39,990 and $45,990 respectively. All prices are before on-road costs.
“While we initially see both our e-Boxer mild hybrid system models as niche options in our range, we’ve already got significant interest from fleet customers and also Subaru fans who have long indicated pent-up demand for new technology engine options” said Colin Christie, Subaru Australia Managing Director.
Both electrified models will feature the e-Boxer powertrain, which produces 110kW and 196Nm of torque, that’s mated to a Lineartronic CVT transmission and channels power to all four wheels via its Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system. The 2.0-litre horizontally opposed engine is paired to an electric motor which makes 12.3kW and 66Nm and is fed by a small lithium-ion battery pack.
The battery recuperates charge by harvesting kinetic energy captured by regenerative braking and coasting. From standstill or at low speeds up to 40km/h, the car can be driven solely by the electric motor. The e-Boxer logic automatically changes between three driving modes depending on the situation.
The first is driving in Motor Assist EV mode which was just mentioned. Up the speed, and the you’ll get petrol power accented by Motor Assist which helps fill in the power gaps and deliver better acceleration. At high speeds, the boxer engine drives the car exclusively while at the same time harvesting energy to charge up the battery pack.
The XV Hybrid offers a fuel consumption figure of 6.5l/100km on the ADR combined cycle, while the Forester gets 6.7 l/100km on the same cycle, claims the brand.
Both electrified models will also feature X-Mode which is a system that helps manage the drivetrain and traction control when off-roading or when driving through slippery surfaces and bad roads. X-Mode also engages Hill Decent Control and Vehicle Dynamics Control system at speeds of 40 km/h or less.
Standard equipment in the XV Hybrid include ‘premium’ fabric seats, dusk-sensing headlights, raining-sensing wipers, LED fog lamps and a pedestrian alert system. The XV also get the EyeSight driver assistance suite which includes tech such as AEB, adaptive cruise control, pre-collision throttle management, lane departure warning and lane keep assist. It also gets the Vision Assist package which features blind spot monitoring, lane change assist, high beam assist, rear cross traffic alert and reverse automatic braking.
Meanwhile, the base Forester Hybrid gets ‘premium’ black fabric upholstery, LED fog lamps, silver body trim, matte silver wing mirror covers. It receives the above-mentioned safety suites and adds Front and Side View Monitors and a Driver Monitoring System.
The range-topping Forester Hybrid S variant adds a leather-look instrument panel, leather accented seats, 8-inch display with satellite navigation, a Harman Kardon stereo, chrome door handles, power tailgate, black rear garnish and 18-inch alloy wheels.
All Subaru Hybrid models will be offered with a five-year unlimited mileage warranty, plus an eight-year 160,000km battery pack warranty.
- XV Hybrid e-Boxer AWD - $35,850
- Forester L AWD Hybrid - $39,990
- Forester S AWD Hybrid - $45,990
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