A dozen years after the little crossover made its original debut, we’re getting a first look at the third-generation 2024 Subaru Crosstrek in the Windy City this week.
It’s certainly coming to market with plenty of momentum, the outgoing crossover having its best year ever in 2022 and serving as the brand’s best-selling product line. But Subaru clearly thinks it has an opportunity for even more growth ahead.
2024 Crosstrek: What’s New
While the look of the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek won’t come as a surprise, it does appear to have plenty going for it, starting with improved performance, with buyers having a choice of two torquey powertrains. It also delivers more safety and infotainment tech in its new form.
And, while Subaru has been subject to the same inflationary pressures as the rest of the automotive industry, the 2024 Crosstrek remains one of the more reasonable offerings in its segments, at a starting price of $24,995 — the same as the outgoing model — before factoring in $1,295 in delivery fees.
Subtle Design Changes
To listen to Subaru, the redesign is meant to communicate “a ready-for-adventure spirit.” The new design doesn’t really stray far from the outgoing Crosstrek, which already had the sort of look that might encourage you to skip a day at the office and head for the hills.
The 2024 model subtly tweaks the familiar frameless hexagonal grille, which is framed by a pair of compact headlights. The body adopts a bit more of an angular, sculpted appearance, with broader shoulders that emphasize the added performance. Subaru designers have improved aerodynamics, meanwhile, with details like the new air outlets that reduce body sway due to air trapped around the front bumpers.
Lower-level trim packages ride on 17-inch wheels, and the Sport and Limited grades switch to 18-inch alloy wheels.
New Subaru Powertrain Options
The base engine is carried over from the second-generation Crosstrek. Displacing 2.0L, the boxer-four pushes out 152 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque.
You’ll need to go for the Sport or Limited models for the new 2.5L package, that boxer-style engine upping the numbers to 182 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque.
All versions are paired with a Lineartronic CVT. The automaker claims it is smoother and quieter, but the Subaru gearbox was already one of the market’s better CVTs, with less of the annoying rubber-band effect many suffer from.
All Crosstrek models will come standard with the Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive system, which is billed as quicker reacting in the updated package. All versions also get the driver-selectable X-Mode, with Hill Descent Control, essentially a low-speed downhill cruise control system. In the Sport and Limited packages, the system can operate in a broader range of driving conditions.
Stiffer Body, Quieter Cabin
Subaru claims to have enhanced both the ride and safety of the 2024 Crosstrek by, among other things, increasing the crossover’s structural rigidity by 10%. For gearheads: it’s using new welding techniques while increasing the use of structural adhesives.
While we’ll have to listen when we try out the new Crosstrek ourselves, the automaker also bills the 2024 model as quieter, especially when it comes to the sort of frequencies that can wear you out on a long drive.
New front seats also promise to reduce fatigue.
Tech Upgrades
Among the tech upgrades, this will be the first time Subaru offers its 11.6-inch Starlink Multimedia Plus system in the Crosstrek. The optional package also features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system also uses the innovative what3words location technology to precisely navigate to locations that may not even appear on a map.
The Subaru EyeSight system comes standard on all 2024 Crosstrek models and offers a suite of advanced driver assistance systems, including forward collision warning with auto-braking. Buyers can upgrade with features such as rear cross-traffic alert, lane change assist, and blind spot detection.
2024 Subaru Crosstrek: Production and Pricing
Versions of the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek equipped with the 2.0L engine will be imported from Japan. But, for the first time, Subaru’s assembly plant in Lafayette, Indiana, will assemble models with the new 2.5L powertrain.
The base model 2024 Crosstrek starts at $26,295 — including delivery fees. A top-line 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Limited model will start at $32,190.
Base models will start rolling into U.S. showrooms this spring, with the 2.5L Sport and Limited trims arriving this coming summer.
