2023 Subaru Crosstrek Gets New Special Edition, $24,870 Starting Price

While subcompact SUVs aren’t as popular as their compact or mid-size counterparts, the recent spike in new-car and fuel prices has stirred a renewed interest in small, fuel-efficient vehicles. The Subaru Crosstrek is among the most affordable SUVs and offers standard all-wheel drive on all trims; it is also the only Subie that currently comes with a hybrid powertrain. For 2023, the Crosstrek gets a new Special Edition trim and a modest price bump across its carryover trims.

Related: 2021 Subaru Crosstrek Review: Bigger Is (Mostly) Better

Special Edition Added

While the larger Outback and Forester SUVs each get Subaru’s off-road-oriented Wilderness treatment, the Crosstrek gets a new Special Edition trim that focuses more on appearance than capability. The Special Edition shares most of its features with the Premium trim but stands out with an exclusive Desert Khaki paint color and dark gray 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, as well as black finishes for its mirrors, grille and door handles.

Inside, the Special Edition gets red and black upholstery with contrast stitching, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and dark trim throughout. It also adds an upgraded instrument cluster and a larger 8-inch touchscreen shared with higher trims — up from the 6.5-inch display in the Base and Premium.

Powertrains Picks: Gas or Hybrid

The gas-only Crosstrek offers two engines: a 152-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the Base and Premium trims and an upgraded 2.5-liter four-cylinder good for 182 hp in the Sport and Limited. The Base and Premium come with a standard six-speed manual transmission or an available continuously variable automatic transmission, while higher trims use only the CVT. The Crosstrek gets an EPA-rated fuel economy of 28/33/30 mpg city/highway/combined in the Base and Premium with the CVT; it drops slightly for higher trims to 27/34/29 mpg.

The most efficient choice is the electrified Crosstrek plug-in hybrid, which pairs a 2.0-liter engine with two electric motors for an EPA-rated 35 mpg, 90 mpg-equivalent and 17 miles of all-electric range; the Hybrid also comes with a standard CVT.

Trims, Pricing and Release Date

The 2023 Crosstrek arrives this summer and will offer five gas-only trims (Base, Premium, Special Edition, Sport and Limited) and the Crosstrek Hybrid. All trims besides the Base offer an optional package with added amenities such as a moonroof, enhanced driver-assist features and a navigation system. Prices on all 2023 trims are $550 more than the 2022 Crosstrek.

Base

The Crosstrek’s base trim starts at $24,870 (all prices include a $1,225 destination charge) with the manual transmission and $26,220 with the available CVT. Standard features include a 6.5-inch touchscreen, keyless entry and Subaru’s EyeSight driver-assist suite on CVT-equipped models. CVT-equipped models also get X-Mode with hill descent control, which optimizes the vehicle’s AWD system for improved traction on various terrains.

Premium

Stepping up to the Premium trim adds an All-Weather Package with heated front seats, windshield and mirrors. Other upgrades like a six-speaker sound system, retractable cargo cover, cargo tray and leather-wrapped steering wheel come with a starting price of $26,020 for the manual transmission and $27,370 for the CVT.

Special Edition

The Special Edition trim adds the exterior and interior features outlined above, as well as a larger 8-inch touchscreen. The starting price for this new trim is $27,970.

Sport

With a starting price of $29,220, the Sport adds keyless access with push-button start, specific exterior finishes and dark gray 17-inch alloy wheels. The interior gets water-repellent leatherette seats that replace the lower trims’ cloth seats. The Sport also gains a dual-mode X-Mode system with Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud modes.

Limited

The range-topping Crosstrek Limited starts at $30,720 and comes with exterior upgrades like 18-inch black aluminum-alloy wheels and body-color mirrors, LED low and high beams, and daytime running lights. Leather seats with black or gray trim and orange stitching are standard.

Hybrid

The Crosstrek Hybrid starts at $38,070 and offers similar features to the Limited trim, along with some unique accents inside and out. It is also the only Crosstrek that gets an enhanced version of Subaru’s Starlink Connected Services, adding remote climate control and a battery charging timer.

Versus the Competition

The 2023 Crosstrek rivals small SUVs like the Honda HR-V, Toyota Corolla Cross and Mazda CX-30. The redesigned 2023 Honda HR-V starts at $24,895 with a $1,500 premium for AWD; the 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross starts at $23,660 and adds $1,300 for AWD; and the Mazda CX-30 starts at $23,725 with standard AWD.

More From Cars.com:

• Subaru Crosstrek: Which Should You Buy, 2021 or 2022?
• Here Are the 10 Cheapest New SUVs You Can Buy Right Now
• 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness First Drive: More of What Outback Owners Love
• 2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness Review: More Capable On- and Off-Road
• Research the Subaru Crosstrek

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