Subaru goes Hybrid – May be
January 24, 2013
According to reports Subaru is getting ready to introduce its first hybrid vehicle. The Japanese car maker known for its rugged and reliable all-wheel-drive systems, is expected to show its first-ever hybrid at the New York Auto Show in late March. Subaru's concept cars have hinted at a hybrid before. Now, it has access to a lot of hybrid technology better than its own, as the company has been partly owned by Toyota, the hybrid leader in the industry, since 2005. Subaru showed an Advanced Tourer Concept using a hybrid drive-train at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Show. That car was powered by a 1.6 liter turbo-charged engine paired with an all-wheel drive hybrid system, assisted by a single electric motor. It is expected that the first Subaru production car to receive a hybrid drivetrain will be the new Forester, that goes on sale in the U.S. this spring. But it is reasonable to expect that the system will also be offered in the Impreza at some point as well. The BRZ sports car, developed with Toyota, is also a candidate for a hybrid version.