Subaru to end boxer engine sales in Europe by 2027

Subaru has announced a strategic shift to phase out all internal combustion engine models in Europe by the end of 2027. This transition marks the end of the brand's iconic boxer engine era in the region, a technical hallmark for the Japanese manufacturer for sixty years.

The phase-out will begin with the Outback model, which is expected to exit the European market by the end of 2026. Following this, the Impreza, Crosstrek, and Forester models—currently utilizing e-Boxer mild-hybrid systems—will be discontinued throughout 2027. From 2028, Subaru's European lineup will consist exclusively of electric vehicles, including the Solterra, E-Outback, and Uncharted.

The company cited strict European Union regulations regarding CO2 emissions and mandatory advanced driver-assistance systems as the primary drivers for this decision. Adapting existing combustion models to meet these evolving standards proved economically unsustainable for the manufacturer's relatively low European market share. While current electric models rely on shared technology with Toyota, Subaru plans to introduce its own proprietary electric vehicle architecture starting around 2029.