Subaru enters hybrid race with new XV Crosstrek SUV

Reuters: Subaru unveiled its first gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle, the XV Crosstrek SUV hybrid, at the New York auto show last week, as the Japanese carmaker aims to expand its customer base and boost sales further in its key U.S. market.

Subaru, owned by Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., will start selling the hybrid sport-utility vehicle this summer in Japan and in the autumn in the United States.

The all-wheel drive vehicle will run in electric-only mode at low speeds, while the electric motor will assist the gasoline engine at medium speeds, Fuji Heavy said in a news release.

“For companies that have already come out with hybrid technologies, fuel efficiency preceded over other matters,” said Toshio Masuda, a Corporate Vice President at Fuji Heavy.

“But we will not give up on the potentials of the SUV and instead use hybrid technology to add more functions,” Masuda told reporters in Tokyo this month ahead of the unveiling at the New York International Auto Show, which is open to the public from Friday through April 7.

The company did not disclose the mileage or price of the vehicle.