Why hot new Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid will be a winner

What is Subaru doing to create such a strong demand for their first hybrid that it is already breaking sales targets by huge margins? Subaru Japan has just announced that demand for their first hybrid model is outstripping their projected sales targets by more than ten times. Either the brand sets their targets too low, or they may have another model that will be a run-away winner with consumers. It could be both, but the Japanese automaker is doing a lot of things right. What does the new XV Crosstrek Hybrid tell us about all-wheel-drive and fuel-efficiency?

Subaru has combined their popular XV Crosstrek and mated it with their latest hybrid technology. This means buyers looking for an all-wheel drive SUV can have the best of both worlds. Some in the automotive world think you can’t have both a four-wheel-drive vehicle and fuel efficiency at the same time. But those who say the option is causing automakers to increase mileage in their fleets aren’t taking into consideration what the latest hybrid technology is going to do to the all-wheel-drive cars we drive in the very near future. And saying you can’t have responsive power in an all-wheel-drive vehicle is just ludicrous.

All- wheel drive and fuel-efficiency

Subaru doesn’t even offer all-wheel-drive as an option, and every one of their vehicles in the lineup (with the exception of their BRZ sports car) comes with their excellent Symmetrical AWD (All-Wheel drive). This is what has distinguished the brand from the competition and given the Japanese automaker a niche in the market. Subaru loyalists and many new buyers who have never purchased a Subaru before are looking for the security and stability of all-wheel-drive.

The 2014 XV Crosstrek Hybrid delivers both fuel-efficiency and the Symmetrical AWD system that customers have come to know and love. Subaru says the new hybrid model will achieve 20.0km/liter (47 mpg) from the Japanese JC08 test cycle that was conducted for the XV Hybrid. Subaru is producing quality automobiles that keep their loyal customers coming back. And the XV Crosstrek Hybrid is the latest example of what the brand is doing right. As they say in the sports world. the numbers don’t lie.

Subaru has a healthy mix of buyers

We shouldn’t be too surprised that customers are buying the newly-launched XV Hybrid in sales-projection-breaking numbers in Japan. Consumers want fuel-efficient vehicles that also have all-wheel-drive capability. But what is a surprise in the announcement today from Subaru, is that close to 56 percent of sales are coming from buyers who are over 50 years old. What does this reveal?

It tells us that a large number of buyers of the new XV Crosstrek Hybrid are loyal Subaru owners who are buying the new hybrid because they trust the brand to put out a quality vehicle, even if it’s the brands first ever hybrid. But more importantly, it tells us they are gaining market share with younger first-time buyers for the brand. This is a very healthy mix of close to 50 percent returning buyers and 50 percent new customers for Subaru.

A few customer reviews have already come in for the all-new 2014 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid and they are favorable. Customers are praising the new hybrid for its fun-to-drive character, responsive power, and agile handling. They are also praising its quality and the security and stability of the all-wheel-drive. Can you have both fuel-efficiency and all-wheel drive? The new hybrid from Subaru proves you can.