The automotive world is preparing for a rather interesting change in its modern history, as the Japanese manufacturer Subaru is planning a large-scale restructuring of its European range. According to specialized media publications in the industry, after 2027 the company will completely cease selling cars with classic internal combustion engines and hybrid drives in the region, putting an end to an era defined by the iconic boxer units. The decision affects the entire portfolio, including the popular gasoline model Outback, as well as hybrid versions of the Impreza, Crosstrek and Forester.
The current generation of the Outback, equipped with a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated boxer engine with a power of 169 horsepower, will remain on the market only until the end of 2027. Shortly after, sales of the three models, which rely on a two-liter mild hybrid unit with a capacity of 136 horsepower, will also be discontinued. The presence of even a minimal electrical component in these powertrains is already proving insufficient to meet the requirements of European regulators and guarantee their continued presence in the brand's sales network.
The fundamental reasons for this radical corporate decision lie in the simultaneous pressure from strict environmental regulations and new safety standards. The tightened limits for average carbon emissions across the entire range make maintaining conventional engines economically inexpedient, since each re-certification of modified engines requires serious financial injections. At the same time, current European requirements for passive and active safety require a fundamental renewal of the electronic architecture, which for older platforms would cost investments whose return is seriously questionable.
After finalizing this complete transition, the brand's European customers will be able to choose only between purely electric offerings. The range will be made up of three models, namely Solterra, Uncharted and the new generation E-Outback, all of which have been developed within the framework of a joint technological partnership with Toyota. This means that despite the complete change under the hood, the familiar and beloved Outback name will continue to exist on the market, but now as a fully electric vehicle with a different technical character.
Such a move carries an extremely symbolic weight for fans of the brand, given the fact that horizontally opposed piston engines have become an integral part of the company's DNA for decades. The beginning of this legendary technology was laid back in 1966 with the premiere of the Subaru 1000 model, which was powered by a scrum-sized one-liter four-cylinder unit with only 55 horsepower. Subsequently, it was the boxer engine, combined with the symmetrical all-wheel drive system, that established itself as the most recognizable technical signature of the Japanese industry.
It is important to clarify that the current measures affect exclusively and only the European market and do not mean a global end to boxer technologies worldwide. For Bulgarian and European consumers, however, the transformation will be uncompromising, as instead of the current freedom of choice between traditional gasoline, mild hybrids and electric vehicles, the brand's showrooms will offer only fully electric vehicles.