Subaru teases new E-Boxer mild hybrids for Geneva
Don't expect them to show up in the US, though. That ship has likely sailed.
Not everything that makes an appearance at the Geneva Motor Show is destined for the US. That's likely the case with Subaru's upcoming debuts.
Subaru plans to introduce two electrified models at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show in March. Carrying the "E-Boxer" designation seen on previous models in other markets, that means the two cars in question are likely mild hybrids .
Subaru didn't say which two models would gain the electrification, but it's probable that one of them will be the Forester . As AutoExpress noted in its report, Subaru debuted the Forester E-Boxer at the Singapore Motor Show in January. With a 13-horsepower electric motor integrated into the continuously variable transmission, it had an output of about 156 horsepower and 187 pound-feet of torque.
Mild hybrids are on the lighter side of the electrification spectrum. A small battery and electric motor aim to take only some of the load off the engine, focusing on extended stop-start functionality and engine-off coasting under deceleration. In the case of Mercedes-Benz's EQ-Boost, they can provide a brief acceleration boost, too. Of course, it's possible that Subaru may expand the E-Boxer designation to also include stouter hybrids, such as plug-ins, but nothing has pointed to a shift like that yet.
I wouldn't get too excited for these models coming to the US, though. When Subaru teased a mild-hybrid Forester in Japan in December, Subaru told Green Car Reports that it had "no intention of bringing back a mild hybrid to the US market." Subaru and Toyota have already teamed up to add a plug-in hybrid variant to the US-spec Subaru Crosstrek , so we're way more likely to see that powertrain show up in various US models as time goes on.
