2026 Subaru Crosstrek review

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The Subaru Crosstrek is a relatively new nameplate in the Japanese brand’s Australian lineup, but it’s proven popular with local buyers.

The Crosstrek name was introduced locally with the release of this small SUV in 2023, when it replaced two generations of compact crossovers wearing the XV badge. Like before, it’s still effectively a higher-riding Impreza hatch, promising improved off-road capability in a similarly small package.

That formula seems to resonate with Australian buyers, as the Crosstrek was Subaru’s second-highest seller in 2025, behind the larger Forester mid-size SUV.

Subaru has released a number of small modifications to this generation of Crosstrek for 2026, in order to keep this line up of the family’s crosstrecker. This is a headline upgrade with the addition of Subaru’s Emergency Driving Stop System (EDSS), which can bring the vehicle “to – controlled stop” while alerting other road users.

The new-generation Forester is part of Subaru’s goal to achieve zero road deaths in its cars by 2030, and was introduced as a system for Australia’s first car in 2025. That commitment focuses on preventative, active and passive safety tech that is the focus of that commitment.

A two-position driver’s seat memory function is also added to the addition of another tweak, and a new exterior paint finish (one orange and three blue finishes) comes with one cost.

That causes prices to rise because s are up. All the three more costly versions of the jumps, including the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek 2 (the largest jump) have been used as the biggest jump. test here is 0R, all of which are now $1500 more expensive than . This slash-opening ‘L’ trim is up to $500,000.

A statement on the local release of the Strong Hybrid (SHEV) system for Australian Foresters and the Crosstrek in other markets has not been released, nor is there any other petrol engine that also operates overseas.

This means that many new small SUV competitors are much more expensive on paper, and this is all the better value for paper. Is the lightly updated Crosstrek good enough to keep Subaru relevant in the small SUV world with that in mind?

How much does the Subaru Crosstrek cost?

The 2 and. 0R is the Crosstrek family’s middling variant and costs $40,990 before on-roads. That’s $1500 more than that of December 2025, compared to the one in which it was .

| Model | Price before on-road costs |
| — | — |
| 2026 Subaru Crosstrek AWD 2.0L | $36,490 (+$500) |
| 2026 Subaru Crosstrek AWD Hybrid L | $40,090 (+$500) |
| 2026 Subaru Crosstrek AWD 2.0R | $40,990 (+$1500) |
| 2026 Subaru Crosstrek AWD 2.0S | $43,990 (+$1500) |
| 2026 Subaru Crosstrek AWD Hybrid S | $47,590 (+$1500) |

Most of the Crosstrek’s small SUV rivals are cheaper and, perhaps unsurprisingly, many of them sell better.

The Chery Tiggo 4 leads the segment and tops out at $34,990 drive-away, but there’s also the GWM Haval Jolion for a maximum of $38,990 drive-away, and the MG ZS for as much as $34,990 drive-away.

The only caveats to that are the Hyundai Kona, which costs $42,700 before on-roads in non-hybrid Premium guise, and the hybrid-only Toyota Corolla Cross, which starts at $44,190 before on-roads if you want an all-wheel drive model.

To see how the Subaru Crosstrek stacks up against its rivals, use our
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What is the Subaru Crosstrek like on the inside?

Nothing has really changed inside the Crosstrek, which is both good and bad.

This is a good thing because it’s still very hard, and Subaru fans will feel right at home. Huge buttons and a real gear selector are present; each often used item (USB ports, cupholders etc) is placed in logical order with large physical buttons.

Those who appreciate Mitsubishi’s more traditional approach to interior layout (excluding the new ASX) will find similarities in this Subaru. That’s also where the ‘bad’ starts, however, because the Crosstrek is already showing its age.

It tastes like Mitsubishi’s old-school flavour, but the Crosstrek still has Subaru’S 11 with its taste. It has only become less palatable in the years since it became more unpalatelable with 6-inch portrait touchscreen, which is just undergone by s. Graphically, it is a very old-looking graphics system; at the bottom of the screen its climate control system is pure digital At least Mitsubishi still has buttons.

It is a fact that the role of this screen has apparently been worse since Subaru’s Emergency Driving Stop System, which is astonishing given that it itself hasn’t changed at all. We’ll say in our driving impressions what is the reason.

But the other thing about this screen is that it isn’t as snappy as we would like, so once again makes it look dated. There is a minimum standard for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. We didn’t have any connectivity issues during our week with the car, but we did not get it connected at all.

Similarly, when smartphone mirroring is active, ribbons at the top and bottom of the screen remain open to prevent inputs required for basic adjustments. It’s also worth noting that the sound system isn’t too bad for a non-branded setup, although it doesn’T have low-end punch.

The latter itself remains a cumbersome one, with controls such as air direction and recirculation locked within the expanded menu that opens when you press the climate readout at the bottom of screen. This is somewhat offset by simple temperature controls and demister buttons on the screen bezels of basic temperatures, which are a small fraction of this.

By comparison, we like the analogue instrument cluster. There is a tidy-looking dial, with just enough information on the small digital screen in the middle to keep tech fans happy. A switch on the steering wheel makes this easy to read by .

Afraid of the cloth-finished seats, otherwise, it is comfortable and power adjustment makes the driver’s seat easy to position. This is where you’ll get the only interior tweak for 2026 a handy two-position memory function for the driver’s seat.

It is common for the segment to have a manual shift of adjustment (adjusting) on the passenger seat, but there’s an extensive range of tilt and reach adjustments in the steering wheel. While the technology may be a tech-savvy buzz, we can’t fault the Crosstrek’s ergonomics.

It is nice to hold the tiller, which is also wrapped in leather and appropriately sized. It is noted that there are many buttons, all real (not touch-sensitive) buttons and finished in durable black plastic. It’s also a good idea to mention the metal-faced sports pedals, even if they’re not needed.

The doors have a decent box under the central armrest, ‘pass-side glovebox and bottle holders with storage-wise. In addition, the centre console also has a 12V outlet and two cupholders, antiquated seat heating switches and ‘a wireless phone charger’– not to mention combining dull and piano-black plastic finishes with an array of boring finish.

A good space is just about equal to the rest of the cars in this segment, with a second row that offers decent space. If there are taller people in front, legroom is fine unless it’s just underweight but headroom has been slightly compromised by the Crosstrek’–the compact body.

A little bit of a big step to get in, but the rear bench itself is comfortable enough (even though it feels like’very big steps’) – this has been the case with the body-sharing Impreza hatch for at least 10 years ago; however, due to its raised ride height, the Crosstrek is slightly less accessible.

You might think that back-seat facilities are also limited (along with the segment) until you realise Subaru hasn’t fitted rear-facing air vents. So it feels like the family-oriented Crosstrek has missed the mark here, as Chery Tiggo 4, MG ZS, GWM Haval Jolion and Toyota Corolla Cross all feature air vents on the back of their centre consoles.

At least you get a soft fold-down armrest with cupholders, as well as individual USB-A and USB–C ports. Those who have child seats will also be happy about the ISOFIX anchors on the outboard seats and the three top-tether points that are included in parent’s.

But it’s a small boot on the smaller side of that boot, which is certainly still working for . While the Crosstrek’s load floor is still fairly wide and flat, Subaru’ – which has been quoted as being much smaller than Chery’. The claim for the non-hybrid Tiggo 4 or Toyota’S 390L figure for Corolla cross was far less compact than that of her two-seat capacity (which can be said to have only 291 litres) in its statement on Friday after she claimed it had not yet reached his height at all-wheel drive.

The vehicle’s egg-shaped rear-end is the only vertical space that’ll be compromised by its. You should fit groceries and the like, but it’s not a problem to be awkward; you can fold down the rear seats for extra space (making an almost-flat floor).

The other side has small cubbies for loose items, and a strong privacy cover that flips around when pulled back into the air. There is no power tailgate in any Crosstrek, but it’s still easy to open the boot.

But we forgive Subaru for not storing more under the boot floor, as it has been spaced to keep a space-sanger spare wheel in storage since that space is used to store up.

| Dimensions | Subaru Crosstrek AWD 2.0R |
| — | — |
| Length | 4495mm |
| Width | 1800mm |
| Height | 1600mm |
| Wheelbase | 2670mm |
| Boot space | 291L (rear seats up) 883L (rear seats folded) |

To see how the Subaru Crosstrek stacks up against its rivals, use our
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What’s under the bonnet?

A 2 is the power of the Subaru Crosstrek as ever, a . A 0-litre non-turbo four-cylinder ‘boxer’ engine, which produces 115kW of power and 196Nm of torque, is also known as a “non-torquer” for its motors. A continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) sends drive to all four wheels.

| Specifications | Subaru Crosstrek AWD 2.0R |
| — | — |
| Engine | 2.0L 4cyl non-turbo petrol ‘boxer’ |
| Engine power | 115kW |
| Engine torque | 196Nm |
| Transmission | CVT |
| Drive type | All-wheel drive |
| Tare mass | 1470kg |
| Fuel economy (claimed) | 7.2L/100km |
| Fuel economy (as tested) | 6.5L/100km |
| Fuel tank capacity | 63L |
| Fuel requirement | 91-octane regular unleaded |
| CO2 emissions | 165g/km |
| Unbraked towing capacity | 650kg |
| Braked towing capacity | 1400kg |
| Emissions standard | Euro 6 |

The car was a highway commuter with our week, which included free-flowing and heavy traffic – as well as suburban errand-running and countryside cruising. We were less than aclaimed fuel economy because we had the skew towards lower-intensity, high-speed driving that helped us drive at.

To see how the Subaru Crosstrek stacks up against its rivals, use our
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How does the Subaru Crosstrek drive?

Much like its interior, the Crosstrek’s on-road behaviour hasn’t really changed – except for one major downgrade.

It is now a way, way too sensitive, to monitor its driver attention system as put bluntly. It’s a true example of how we’re really reaching stereotypical Chinese-car calibration levels here; this isnt the only thing we expect from Subaru’, which has historically been inobtrusive, well-engineered safety gear.

spend a second too long trying to figure out the confusing (and sometimes slow-moving) digital climate system, and the car beeps. Search the speedometer or read a traffic sign for more than merely glancing, and the car beeps as it is driven by. So it’s so disappointing.’ The new-generation Forester has exactly the same problem as his , and he is just one of those people who are in trouble with this issue.

The Crosstrek also repeatedly warned me to ‘take a Break’ for no apparent cause. The monitor can be disabled, but shouldn’t have to be turned off by .

And we know what’s the reason for this, and it’ll probably be Subaru EDSS tech new. We think the driver distraction monitor is much more reactive to the slightest variations in attention because its more advanced features have almost certainly required tweaks to a car’s existing safety tech.

A EDSS will bring the car into safe, controlled stop if you’re not aware of that it is finding out driver has been unresponsive. Because when the car controls braking and steering, it only works when adaptive cruise and lane-centring are active (i.e.”

No sense in the context above, but these problems always occurred when cruise control was not active – so they don’t make any sense. We appreciate the value of the EDSS, but we would certainly be very long without an extra time in the oven for the safety systems in both the Crosstrek and Forester.

Besides all that, the Crosstrek is solid. This is a very unassuming package in terms of performance, ride and handling.’ It needs to be everything that it should do for anything like this with no real bad or nothing really wrong with any of it.

Upon pushing start button, the engine begins with the motor that turns into a fairly slacky high-RPM idle. So this family of 2 is how exactly does this work? The 0-litre boxer engine has behaved since it was launched in 2012, so there’s no reason to worry.

The same engine (or near enough) I lived with in fact, for five years when I owned a 2014 Impreza hatch and the only real powertrain difference is that my hatch was manual. But surprisingly, for some of the time perhaps, it isn’t even much more powerful 12 years later than that engine.

It’s a good powerplant for – realistically, an impressive car of this stature and purpose but – and without being that guy it’t fast. Eventually it’s going to speed up, and is pretty efficient for a non-hybrid small SUV so that’s right – but we can still dream.

CVT auto is also good but not great, too. It’s practical and does a perfect job but it doesn’t motivate hard acceleration, like you do again. As it climbs through the rev range, it will at least pretend to shift gears as it trumps up but isn’t as satisfying as a Honda CVT can be.

A weird quirk is that when you ‘shift up’, it’s important to be pre-emptive with throttle inputs as the CVT can be caught off-guard – this was where my old six-speed manual provided control even if the Crosstrek still has a manual mode and paddle shifters.

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By pressing the ‘[S]’ button on the steering wheel, you can turn things up to Sport mode. It will shorten the CVT’s ratios, so that it runs at higher RPM and is a little more spritely and snappier in throttle response.

Its long and short-term meaning that Sport mode makes the Crosstrek slightly faster, more useful for overtaking or pulling onto high-speed roads; default Intelligent mode (signified by the [I] button) is docile and generally better for efficiency. Crosstrek is approachable, with only two driving modes being these.

This is a similar story about the steering (nice weighted and direct) with its nice-headed plotting. This is a good thing Subaru has been doing in recent years, and it’s an easy way to adapt the Crosstrek as well as being predictable when you’re coming from any other car.

A ride quality is on the firmer side and therefore does not comply with some bumpy regional roads. It doesn’t seem like it is going to be a bad thing, as the car never feels skittish and we want how well suspension cushions cabin from small holes and tram tracks.

No doubt that’s a result of the thicker sidewalls on the tyre, and road noise is also impressively muffled. The Crosstrek is a good example of how to rack up kilometres on longer drives, which helps avoid the tiring of its driver out – even though it has been repeatedly ‘Take if Break’ reminders.

We can only criticise the lane-centring function, which is not always easy to give smooth steering inputs and often sit too close to one side of the car’s vehicle. Despite the fact that it is not settled, even if the adaptive cruise system does well in matching and reacting to traffic around the Crosstrek.

But we didn’t test the car’s light-duty off-road chops, sadly, because nothing has changed with its drivetrain or chassis (including its relatively generous ground clearance) and still expect it to be more capable than most other SUVs in its segment.

And if so, the basics are still intact; it’s just that some of the tech changes have been taken away from the otherwise well-rounded package offered by Crosstrek.

To see how the Subaru Crosstrek stacks up against its rivals, use our
comparison tool

What do you get?

The Subaru Crosstrek continues to be available in three trim levels.

2026 Subaru Crosstrek 2.0L and Hybrid L equipment highlights:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Space-saver spare wheel (petrol only)
• Tyre repair kit (Hybrid only)
• Automatic halogen headlights
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Rear privacy glass
• Standard steering wheel
• Cloth upholstery

• Charcoal

• Manual seat adjustment incl. driver’s seat height
• Standard analogue instrument cluster (petrol only)
• Premium instrument cluster (Hybrid only)
• 4.2-inch multi-information display
• 11.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• DAB+ digital radio
• Bluetooth
• Auxiliary jack
• 1 x USB-A port (front)
• 1 x USB-C port (front)
• Wireless phone charger
• 6-speaker sound system
• Paddle shifters
• Dual-zone climate control
• SI-Drive (2 modes)
• X-Mode (1 mode)

Crosstrek 2.0R adds:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Automatic LED headlights (steering-responsive)
• LED front fog lights
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• Sports pedals
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Leather-wrapped gear selector
• Premium cloth upholstery

• Charcoal
• Grey

• 8-way powered driver’s seat adjustment incl. lumbar
• Driver’s seat memory function (2 position) (NEW)
• Heated front seats
• ‘Premium’ instrument cluster
• 1 x USB-A port (rear)
• 1 x USB-C port (rear)
• X-Mode (2 modes)

Crosstrek 2.0S and Hybrid S add:

• Electric sunroof
• Leather-accented upholstery

• Black
• Grey

• Satellite navigation
• 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system

To see how the Subaru Crosstrek stacks up against its rivals, use our
comparison tool

Is the Subaru Crosstrek safe?

The 2026 Subaru Crosstrek boasts a five-star ANCAP safety rating, based on testing conducted by Euro NCAP in 2024.

| Category | Subaru Crosstrek |
| — | — |
| Adult occupant protection | 83 per cent |
| Child occupant protection | 91 per cent |
| Vulnerable road user protection | 85 per cent |
| Safety assist | 73 per cent |

Standard safety equipment highlights:

• 9 airbags, incl:

• Front
• Front-side
• Curtain
• Driver’s knee
• Far side
• Front passenger seat cushion

• Active torque vectoring
• Adaptive cruise control
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Driver monitoring system with facial recognition
• Emergency driving stop system (NEW)
• Front-side radar
• Intelligent speed limiter
• Lane-centring
• Lane-change assist
• Lane-keep assist
• Pedestrian alert system (Hybrid only)
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Rear parking sensors
• Reversing camera
• Traffic sign recognition
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Wide-angle monocular camera

Crosstrek 2.0R adds:

• Front-view monitor
• Side-view monitors
• Surround-view camera

To see how the Subaru Crosstrek stacks up against its rivals, use our
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How much does the Subaru Crosstrek cost to run?

Subaru Australia maintains its range with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. A 12 months or 15,000km service for both petrol-only and hybrid Crosstrek variants is needed to Servic, whichever comes first the original one.

| Servicing and Warranty | Subaru Crosstrek |
| — | — |
| Warranty | 5 years, unlimited kilometres |
| Roadside assistance | 12 months |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | 5 years |
| Average annual capped-price service cost | $488.81 |
| Total capped-price service cost | $2444.04 |

Subaru’s individual capped-price servicing costs are detailed below:

| Service | Price |
| — | — |
| 12 months, 15,000km | $354.34 |
| 24 months, 30,000km | $528.67 |
| 36 months, 45,000km | $425.06 |
| 48 months, 60,000km | $771.34 |
| 60 months, 75,000km | $364.63 |

In a context, five years of service for the Chery Tiggo 4 will cost $1445 at $289 per service. The hybrid Corolla Cross, meanwhile, is on the list of Toyota’s preparations with five years of service for just $1375 at $275 per service.

But pricier than the Crosstrek is the Hyundai Kona. It’ll cost $2053 to service over five years, averaging $410.6 annually.

To see how the Subaru Crosstrek stacks up against its rivals, use our
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childcareman.xyz’s Take on the Subaru Crosstrek 2.0R

But while its powertrain and chassis are still the same, price hikes and the less-than seamless integration of its new safety equipment have unfortunately taken the Crosstrek backwards.

It’s important that Subaru’s latest safety tech is added and can save lives in the long run, but there doesn’t seem to be anything here for buyers to touch and feel where the extra $1500 has gone.

The worst thing is that tech has sucked off some of the finer car systems in the past and it’s even more expensive to justify paying for them. Similarly, we had similar complaints when reviewing the new-generation Forester which has many of the same flaws as it does.

It’s a shame, because the Crosstrek otherwise still offers an unintimidating drive experience that is what an economy Subaru should do. But we didn’t get it any more efficient than a new hybrid tech (more than 800km on an over-800km tank of 91 RON, pretty damn damn good), and that’s just enough without doing anything earth-shattering.

But if you’re from another Subaru, even years ago, and aren’t the ones that come with Annoying driver monitor — as its new-battery interior has no different buttons or physical layouts to adjust to in the new Crosstrek will feel at home.

And in terms of overlooked payload figures the Crosstrek has 590kg of capacity, more than enough for four grown adults and their luggage.

Chery quotes only 395kg for the non-hybrid Tiggo 4, so the Crosstrek should be a better long-distance family hauler.

In fact, realistically, it’s fair to say that the Crosstrek needs to push the envelope a lot more than it does (especially in Australia) and especially when it comes to .

It’s a good idea for us to bring our We reckon Subaru’d Strong Hybrid (SHEV) system Down Under, especially since it’re now in the Forester and that is readily available in Crosstrek in other right-hand drive markets such as Japan. The US also has a larger-displacement petrol engine, as well as.

Despite the fact that it has a few good drawcards, The Crosstrek is also hard to swallow even though its price premium over Chinese rivals is too high. In the past, it has been noted that the basic Crosstrek is strong enough to keep loyalists satisfied but there’s much more which could be done to make this relevant to others.

Regardless, the Crosstrek is still a solid small SUV and the mid-range 2 are in fact an impressive little smaller SUV all up. It’s a good starting point for 0R; it’s just getting harder to recommend.

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