Subaru’s hybrid era: Hotter than Pedro Pascal in a Patagonia vest
The brand that sold green vibes before green vehicles is finally bringing the tech, with Toyota’s help and perfect timing.
Every year at the annual New York International Auto Show, while most of the convention hall pulsates with LED walls touting silhouettes of Tesla fighters and overcompensating pickup trucks, Subaru's corner of the show is nestled in faux pine trees, bathed in nature sounds, patrolled by Smokey the Bear, and routinely visited by cuddle puddles of rescue dogs looking for a forever home. It's an expression of a brand that quietly, and somewhat magically, earned the trust of eco-conscious buyers for years without actually selling fuel-efficient cars.
Until now, that is. And I don't think there's a bigger story from this year's NYIAS.
In the coming months, Subaru will add hybrid versions to its most popular model lines, roll out a much-improved refresh of its Solterra EV, and launch an EV called the Trailseeker that embraces the brand's wagon-loving heritage. And all of these green rides are built in partnership with the undisputed king of hybrid tech, Toyota, who owns part of Subaru, so you know they'll work wonderfully. Not that you'd worry: Subaru just knocked Toyota off the top of Consumer Reports' annual list of most reliable cars in America, anyway.
Taken together, it's the wisest electrification push we've seen from any legacy automaker in years.
It’s wild to me that Subaru waited so long to go all-in on hybrids considering they are disproportionately beloved by environmentally minded folks. A 2021 YouGov study found 32% of buyers considering a Subaru said the environment factors into their buying decision — far more than those thinking about Jeep (19%), Chevy (20%), or Ford (21%). Another YouGov report revealed Subaru is the most left-leaning car brand in America, with liberals nearly twice as likely as conservatives to consider buying one (28% vs. 16%). Of course, three times as many liberals view climate change as a major threat to the country's well-being.
It's time to tip our beanies to Subaru's marketing team for successfully selling green values before they sold green vehicles. Among the green-leaning brand strategies that Subaru embraced in recent years: touting their zero landfill Indiana factory since 2004; a long-running $65M+ partnership with the National Parks Foundation; and a series of "Subaru Loves the Earth" campaigns that include battery recycling, wildlife protection, and reforestation. They even extended the zero landfill approach to Subaru Park, the soccer stadium outside Philadelphia that bears the brand name.
On the engineering side, Subaru's doing a great job of pairing under-the-hood traits that have become synonymous with its brand — the 4-cylinder boxer engine and symmetrical all-wheel drive — with Toyota's unbeatable hybrid system, refined over nearly 20 years in the Prius and now available across so many vehicles. Reviewers are raving about how the Forester Hybrid, the first to get the hybrid powertrain, not only produces fewer greenhouse gases while saving owners money at the pump, but the tech actually enhances the capability that owners love and expect from their Subies. In Tom Voelk's recent review, he applauded how the hybrid system offers a 40% improvement in the Forester's city MPG rating while sacrificing none of the off-road traits that matter — like ground clearance — and that the increased horsepower makes for a zippier off-the-line experience.
The big-selling small crossover Crosstrek is next in line to roll out its own hybrid models this fall, followed in short order by the all-new 2026 Outback wagon around the end of the year. Voelk also reported that the hybrid option only costs $1,400 more in the Forester, which buyers would easily make back in fuel savings within a couple of years of ownership.
And this all comes at a moment when hybrid vehicle sales are hotter than Pedro Pascal in a Patagonia vest: In March 2025 alone, 193,419 hybrids were sold in the United States, a 56.1% increase compared to March of the previous year. Toyota has dominated this market to the point that folks are enduring ridiculous wait times and even markups to get the Toyota hybrid they want, something that Subaru can use to its advantage.
Industry pundit Kirk Kreifels put it bluntly: there are so few Toyota hybrids available across the country right now that he imagines all of them are probably pre-sold. "I'm fired up because people are illogically lining up for Toyota hybrids when there's competition out there," he ranted in a recent video. "It's not worth the wait." And why wait when the same proven tech is now sitting quietly on the lot at your local Subaru dealer?
We haven't even touched on the full EV offerings, which, after New York, are suddenly far more appealing. I have been aching to replace our aging Volvo XC70 wagon with an EV, but there wasn’t a mid-tier option with similar cargo capacity on the market — until Subaru unveiled the Trailseeker, built on the same platform as the existing Solterra EV but with six inches of length added to the rear end, stretching it to Outback-like dimensions. With a decent 260 miles of range and a revamped infotainment setup that eschews Subaru's current, laggy system for one that appears to be a reskinned version of Toyota's boring but functional one, the Trailseeker won't have trouble finding buyers.
Solterra, the brand's first foray into EV, felt like a half-assed attempt to get into the game when it launched in 2023, with paltry range, sluggish charging, and puzzling looks. Now, it's been given a heavy glow-up that increases range by 25% to over 280 miles, improves charging speeds to something not embarrassing (and adds compatibility with Tesla superchargers), and gets a facelift that is at least a mild improvement.
All of this points towards a big, big future for Subaru. While other brands tried to pivot toward values-driven marketing in the era of hybridization and electrification, Subaru's been there the whole time. They just hadn't caught up on the tech — and now, thanks to their pals at Toyota, they have. The most trusted car brand in America might quietly become the most trusted climate brand, too. With all the fanfare of a Peaceful Piano playlist.
This sounds like the car for you.