Subaru Reportedly Working On Electric Crossover SUV for 2021

EV SUV would be aimed at the North American market.

byAaron Brown|
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In an effort to adhere to increasingly-strict vehicle emissions regulations, Subaru is reportedly developing a new electric crossover that is expected to launch in 2021. And if the Japanese automaker actually builds such an EV, it could be a serious competitor to Tesla's upcoming "Model Y" compact crossover.

According to Automotive News, the new electric crossover will be a midsize all-wheel-drive SUV, and will likely squeeze in somewhere between the Forester and the Outback, Japanese newspaper Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun reported. The car will likely be built on Subaru's new Global Platform, which the automaker claimed back in March could be easily altered for hybrid and electric car use. This is the same platform the new 2017 Impreza is built on—and the basis for the entire next generation of Subaru vehicles.

When Automotive News asked the Subaru Corporation (formerly known as Fuji Heavy Industries) if this all-electric crossover was actually in the cards, a spokesperson claimed the automaker had not yet set any decisions in stone. “We have yet to decide on any specifics at the moment,” the spokesperson said. But Subaru did confirm that if it was to bring the car to market, it would indeed be built on the new global platform; in addition, it would be aimed specifically at North American consumers.

If Subaru's electric crossover does come to pass, it will likely be cheaper than the Tesla Model Y crossover. But with both of those unlikely to surface before the start of the next decade, the world of inexpensive electric crossovers will likely remain sparsely populated for some time to come. In the meantime, we at The Drive will be sitting here patiently waiting for that rumored hybrid WRX STI.

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