"Although many of us associate it with rally-derived machinery from the late 1990s and early 2000s, these days, Subaru has mostly abandoned its performance cars to concentrate on its true calling-rugged, all-wheel-drive vehicles that are high on practicality, powered by horizontally opposed "boxer" engines. One area where the brand has never particularly excelled has been fuel efficiency, which is where today's test car, the Subaru Forester Hybrid, comes in."
"Now, the 2.5 L flat-four engine operates on the Atkinson/Miller cycle, which generates 162 hp (121 kW) and 154 lb-ft (208 Nm). There's an electric motor-generator starter and an electric traction motor with 118 hp (88 kW) and 199 lb-ft (270 Nm) that work together to send a combined 194 hp (145 kW) to all four wheels via a symmetrical all-wheel drive system and a planetary continuously variable transmission."
"The 14 hp (10 kW) bump over the non-hybrid Forester is little enough that it probably won't be noticed, but a combined EPA fuel efficiency of 35 mpg (6.7 L/100 km) is a meaningful increase over the unelectrified Forester's 29 mpg (8.1 L/100 km). In practice, I struggled to exceed 31 mpg (7.6 L/100 km) during my week with the Forester, although as you'll note from the temperatures displayed on the dash, winter temperatures have arrived, and we all know the cold makes all vehicles less efficient, not just EVs."
Subaru emphasizes rugged, practical all-wheel-drive vehicles powered by horizontally opposed "boxer" engines. The Forester Hybrid pairs a 2.5 L Atkinson/Miller flat-four (162 hp, 154 lb-ft) with an electric motor-generator starter and an 118 hp traction motor, producing a combined 194 hp routed through symmetrical AWD and a planetary continuously variable transmission. The hybrid gains about 14 hp over the non-hybrid Forester and achieves an EPA combined rating of 35 mpg versus 29 mpg for the unelectrified model. Real-world winter driving showed around 31 mpg, with cold temperatures reducing efficiency. CVT hybrid operation can feel disconcerting as propulsion shifts between electric and combustion sources.
Read at Ars Technica
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