Subaru's Plan And What’s Next For New Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, Ascent Models

At the automaker's global headquarters in Tokyo, Tomomi Nakamura, Subaru Corporation's CEO, revealed its core models' plans. Here is what customers can expect for the future 2022 Forester compact SUV, Outback wagon, Crosstrek subcompact SUV, and Ascent 3-Row family hauler models. As the global shift is towards all-electric cars, Automotive News reports, Nakamura said Subaru would stick with its gas engines as long as possible.

The AN report says Nakamura "pledged to stay with gasoline powertrains until they fade from the market completely." The CEO stated that Subaru's unique Boxer engine offers fuel-saving capabilities, like direct-injection and lean burning technology. He says Subaru will continue to keep fine-tuning the Boxer engine's internal combustion technology until it goes away.

Subaru has moved towards smaller turbocharged engines and uses its new 2.4-liter turbocharged engine in the all-new Ascent family hauler and newly-remodeled Outback and Legacy models. The Japan market Levorg features a new 1.8-liter direct-injection turbocharged Boxer engine. With its new fuel-efficient engine, Nakamura said there would be no need for a Levorg hybrid version, even in hybrid-loving Japan.

Subaru is developing a new all-electric SUV with Toyota that will be about the same size as the Forester. Subaru should bring the new all-electric model by the end of 2022. Subaru will plan to have 40 percent of its global sales from "electrified" vehicles by 2030. Those electrified models will be a mix of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric for customers.

"If environmental regulations continue to strengthen further as we see now, I think there will come a time when internal combustion engines will be phased out," Nakamura said. "But this area is Subaru's core. So we are committed to surviving [in this area] for as long as we can."

Subaru of America CEO Tom Doll also said recently, "We will be introducing an all-electric SUV in a couple of years through our partnership with Toyota. We have to provide that type of vehicle because the way the fuel economy and government CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) requirements are, we need to have our lineup of electrified vehicles that are coming through the mid-2025 to 2030 models."

Customers will see a hybrid and plug-in hybrid Subaru Forester, Outback, and Ascent SUVs sometime between 2025-2030 time frame. Until then, Subaru will continue to "fine-tune" its lean-burn turbocharged Boxer engines in its models.

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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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