Subaru XV e-Boxer, many eco-advantages with the evolved Mild Hybrid – Trials and News

Having abandoned (unfortunately) the refined and efficient 4-cylinder boxer diesel fueled, Subaru has used an unusual and perfected Mild Hybrid technology in the XV e-Boxer to achieve an indispensable goal in times of combating emissions: to lower consumption and therefore the quantity of CO2 emitted by the exhaust. All this enhancing the traditional off-road qualities of all models of the Casa delle Pleiadi.

It did so by updating the SGP platform (Subaru Global Platform) the naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine FB 20 – hence the initials e-Boxer – in combination with an electric ‘machine’ integrated into the 12.3 kW generator-starter motor . As in all Mild Hybrid systems, these two elements are complemented by a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 0.57 kWh located in the trunk under the load floor, without any penalty for stowage.

But unlike most MEHV schemes, recharging takes place not only through regenerative braking, but also directly with the engine. In fact, the scheme developed by Subaru provides that the generator is also operated through the crankshaft, which happens even if the XV e-Boxer is stationary with the 4-cylinder petrol engine running.
This particular function – which is automatically managed by the system and which uses a clutch inside the Lineartronic gearbox and a clutch that decouples the drive system from the two engines – allows the user of this sophisticated Mild Hybrid to never completely discharge the battery.

As it was possible to verify in an articulated road test between Lombardy and Switzerland, including the crossing of the Simplon Pass, Subaru XV e-Boxer therefore does not offer only the advantages in terms of road behavior that derive from the electric ‘supplement’ (16 Hp and 66 Nm of torque) out of a total of 150 Hp and 194 Nm, but also the ability to move in 100% electric mode for about 1.6 km, as long as you don’t exceed 30 km / h.
An advantage not only in the city, when, thanks to the homologation as a hybrid car, you can access the Ztl, but also on routes – such as the mountain dirt roads – where these itineraries are shared with pedestrians or cyclists. In several situations, the Subaru XV e-Boxer has been the subject of positive comments from ‘non-motorized’ users, overshadowing its close relationship with the SUV-crossover category.
Here, this is one of the most interesting pluses of this model: XV offers in this variant all the traditional off-road capabilities of Subaru (symmetrical AWD traction, adequate angles of attack and exit and ground clearance of 22 cm) at an environmental ‘behavior’ that goes well beyond the homologation data. If it is true that in the WLTP cycle the XV e-Boxer consumes an average of 7.9 l / 100 km and emits 149 g / km of CO2, in daily use and with the adoption of an appropriate driving style, this Subaru is it truly demonstrates a precious friend of the environment, and not only because the wording ‘hybrid’ appears on the registration certificate.

An example of this is the possibility of traveling in electric mode for limited stretches, but with the opportunity – for example in traffic in a queue – to continuously recharge the battery directly with the engine. And this improved 4-cylinder boxer has been completed with a GPF (Gasoline Particulate Filter) which together with the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) valve and the AVCS variable valve timing system further lowers exhaust emissions, about 10% less than to 2.0i petrol of the previous XV.
After all, driving this model, which – also for the calibration of the Lineartronic automatic gearbox – certainly does not wink at the world of sporty PHEV hybrids, teaches that despite having an acceleration from 0 to 100 in 10.7 seconds and a speed maximum where there are no limits of 193 km / h, it is pleasant and useful to ‘compete’ to lower consumption rather than to set the new record from point A to point B.
Indeed (and in the long test we did it several times) being at the wheel of a Subaru teaches that between A and B you can trace many itineraries, more relaxing and closer to nature, even if they are not allowed to models that do not have these uniqueness. .

It should be remembered that in difficult situations the X-Mode system, whose operation is displayed on the Multifunction Display, keeps both motors active, thus guaranteeing all the available torque. The sensation you get in the mud (or in other prohibitive conditions) is of an immediate response from the system, as the electric motor generates maximum torque already at low rpm, just above the start.

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