2021 Subaru Crosstrek Is Officially Arriving With A Larger 2.5L Engine

It's now official. The 2021 Subaru Crosstrek is indeed arriving with a larger 2.5-liter engine. And with a larger engine means more power, and more power means more fun. Less than two days have passed since we last wrote about the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek, and we were right in assuming a power upgrade courtesy of a larger mill.

But since we're still talking about a new model, Subaru has given the Crosstrek a mild styling update across the board. However, one of the main highlights is a new Sport trim. New for 2021, The Crosstrek Sport comes standard with the new and larger 2.5-liter engine along with specific wheel arch moldings, new 17-inch alloy wheels, a new front grille rendered in a gunmetal finish, and body-colored interior trim.

The new Crosstrek Sport is also equipped with a new dual-function X-Mode drive selector with snow/dirt and deep snow/mud programming. This means enhanced capabilities on demanding off-road terrain.

Let's talk more about that new engine, shall we? As previously mentioned, it's a larger 2.5-liter naturally-aspirated Boxer four with 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque. This engine is now standard on the Crosstrek Sport and Limited trim and is paired with Subaru's symmetrical AWD and CVT automatic transmission.

Meanwhile, Base and Premium trims are equipped with the usual 2.0-liter Boxer mill with 152 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque. If you want a manual gearbox, you'll have to settle for the smaller engine since the new 2.5-liter mill is exclusively paired with a CVT.

All CVT Crosstrek models come standard with Subaru's EyeSight which now includes adaptive cruise control and lane-centering along with lane-keeping assist, pre-collision braking, and lane departure warning among many others. The Limited model also receives blind-spot detection, hi-beam assist, automated emergency braking, and cross-traffic alert.

The 2021 Subaru Crosstrek is slated to arrive at dealerships later in the summer. Pricing has yet to be announced, but we're expecting base prices to remain at around $23,500.