The New Subaru Crosstrek Sport Gets More Power But It's Missing A Key Feature

The one complaint about the 2020 Subaru Crosstrek is that it needs more power. Subaru listened and is bringing a new 2021 Crosstrek Sport with a 2.5-liter normally aspirated Boxer engine with more power and torque. The new Sport trim is coming sometime next year and will be offered with the 2.5-liter engine along with the top-of-the-lineup Limited model getting the same powerplant. But it won’t be offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox.

The EPA just listed the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek fuel mileage data on its website revealing a 2.5-liter Crosstrek Sport with only a Lineartronic CVT automatic. The new model will get an estimated 24/34 city/highway mpg and 29 combined mpg. The Crosstrek 2.0-liter engine gets 28/33 city/highway mpg and 30 combined mpg. The new Sport trim will have very similar mileage as the smaller engine making it a desirable option for subcompact SUV shoppers.

The Lineartronic CVT will be the only transmission offered

The new Crosstrek Sport and Limited 2.5-liter trims will only come mated with a CVT Lineartronic automatic with Adaptive Control, incline-assist, and 8-speed manual mode with steering wheel paddle shifters. The EPA doesn’t list the new Sport with a 6-speed manual like 2020 Crosstrek base and Premium trims now offer. This is what we suspected. Subaru will not offer the manual gearbox in Sport or Limited 2.5i models.

For Subaru, it’s all about safety. Subaru will drop all manual shifters in their cars soon to bring EyeSight driver assist technology as standard equipment to their entire SUV lineup. EyeSight cannot be fitted on a manual transmission car, so those models will all be gone soon.

The 6-speed manual is going away on all models soon

Although no details have been released by Subaru, the new Sport and Limited models will likely get the same power specifications as the 2.5-liter Boxer engine that powers the 2020 Subaru Forester and Outback models. The 2.5-liter comes with 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque which is considerably more than the 152 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque from the current Crosstrek’s 2.0-liter engine.

We have an idea on pricing

Subaru has not released MSRP on the Sport, but the Forester Sport trim gives an idea of the price. The well-outfitted 2020 Crosstrek Premium trim begins at $25,555 with a CVT. The new Forester Sport has a $1,600 price difference over the well-equipped Forester Premium trim. This would make the Crosstrek Sport price around $26,145 including destination and delivery fees. Look for the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek Sport 2.5i and Limited 2.5i models to be announced by the Japanese automaker this summer. Stay tuned.

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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a variety of roles. All of his reports are archived on our Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Subaru Report. Check back tomorrow for more Subaru news and updates at Torque News!

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