Three month wait and counting for Subaru hybrids

An orderly queue is forming for the Subaru XV Hybrid and Subaru Forester Hybrid, with confirmation from the importer this week that registrations of interest are nearing 5000.

Officially on sale this week, Subaru has confirmed the new XV Hybrid and Forester Hybrid have stirred considerable pre-sale awareness across the country; so much so that ordering one today isn't likely to get you into a car until May 2020.

Frustratingly, deliveries of the new hybrid duo will be limited to less than 200 vehicles a month initially, as Subaru's Japanese factory scrambles to fulfil international demand.

"We have well over 4000 registrations of interest and are fast approaching 5000. We're currently sold out until May and that's before the product has even gone on sale," Subaru Australia managing director Colin Christie said.

"Hybrid will thrive not just this year but in the years to come. For now, it's less about a demand equation and more about the supply equation. We've got some cars coming into the country now; a lot of those will go on as demonstrators, fleet customers and some retail customer.

"We're taking all of our allocation every single month, plus any other allocation we can get from other markets."

Subaru Australia product director Goran Popov said consumers were clearly ready for more hybrid models. Subaru's confidence will no doubt be buoyed by the success of the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, which has created its own wait times as long as six months.

"Whilst we anticipate traditional ICE [internal-combustion] engines for some time, the pendulum is starting to swing towards hybrids," Popov said, adding that installing hybrid drivetrains into existing, familiar models was the best way forward.

"You can expect the same driveability and reliability. The difference is Subaru's hybrids deliver additional electric assistance... while reducing emissions and fuel consumption without the need to plug in to recharge."

The recent bushfire disaster and ongoing environmental events have brought greener engine technology into focus, officials said. However, Subaru Australia will continue to resist launching plug-in hybrid models in Australia for now, despite the technology already being available to them.

"One of the biggest challenges is still range anxiety, and while a plug-in hybrid doesn't have that problem there's still a mentality around it," Christie said. "Plug-in hybrids are an option but at the moment we'll probably move from hybrids straight into electric vehicles."

Offering an alternative to hybrid rivals including the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, which is priced from $35,490, Subaru's e-Boxer models add between $3000 and $4000 to the price (spec adjusted, compared with MY19 prices).

The Subaru XV Hybrid starts at $35,580 plus on-road costs, making it the second most expensive variant in the XV model range, while the Subaru Forester Hybrid will cost $39,990 for the L and $45,990 in top-shelf S form.

Like all other Subaru models in Australia, both new Subaru hybrids are all-wheel drive and come standard with an automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Both models get the same 'self-charging' e-Boxer hybrid system, comprising a small electric motor (12kW/66Nm) and a 2.0-litre flat four-cylinder petrol engine (110kW/196Nm).

Unlike Toyota, Subaru uses a lithium-ion battery to deliver electric-only locomotion (Motor Assist EV driving) at speeds of up to 40km/h, depending on its charge level.

The system has two other modes: Motor Assist electric, which combines both petrol and electric power at middling speeds, and the petrol engine driving mode, which relies on just combustion power at freeway speeds.

Subaru says the mild-hybrid system works best in stop-start urban traffic and, unlike a pure EV, it doesn't have an 'unnatural braking feel'.

The lithium-ion battery pack is located under the boot floor, along with the rest of the hybrid hardware, (drive motor inverter, DC/DC converter).

There is no plug-in option, and the hybrid system recharges the battery via regenerative braking or while coasting with your foot off the accelerator.

Subaru says the XV hybrid delivers a seven per cent reduction in fuel consumption, the Forester Hybrid a nine per cent reduction. In the urban cycle, which comprises most daily commutes, the Hybrid delivers a carbon emissions reduction as big as 19 per cent.

Like all Subaru models, the new hybrids will be covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, while the battery pack is protected by an eight-year, 160,000km warranty. Capped price servicing is also available at the same price as non-hybrid models.

All hybrid models get an updated energy flow display that shows whether the vehicle in question is using/replenishing electricity, using petrol or a combo of both.

Forester Hybrid models get minor equipment level enhancements, such as LED fog lights, matt-silver wing mirrors and premium black cloth trim (Forester Hybrid L), plus a faux leather instrument panel cover and black rear garnish (Forester Hybrid S).

The Subaru XV Hybrid shares some equipment from the entry-level model-grade, such as 17-inch alloy wheels, but adds the EyeSight driver-assistance package from mid-grade models, bringing adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, lane change assist, high-beam assist and other safety features.

The XV Hybrid also adds front LED fog lights, automatic headlights, power folding wing mirrors, black roof rails, rain-sensing wipers and premium cloth trim.

How much does the 2020 Subaru XV Hybrid cost?
Hybrid: $35,580

How much does the 2020 Subaru Forester Hybrid cost?
Forester Hybrid L: $39,990
Forester Hybrid S: $45,990

*Prices exclude on-road costs