Gear
Subaru Rates Most Crosstreks to Tow 1,500 lb, Wilderness 3,500 lb
A 24-row breakdown of every Subaru Crosstrek towing figure sourced directly from Subaru documents, by model year, trim, and market, with gaps left visible.
By Marcus Hale · · 1 min read
Subaru’s own spec sheets say 1,500 lb for most Crosstrek trims and 3,500 lb for the Wilderness — but that number didn’t exist at all in Subaru’s paperwork from 2017 through 2022, and the Australian and European versions of this vehicle are rated to tow roughly double the US figure. The table below lists every subaru crosstrek towing capacity figure found in a primary Subaru document, by model year, trim, and market, leaving the blanks visible rather than guessing at them.
Sort and filter. Click any column header to sort the table by that field, and use the Market dropdown to isolate US, Australian, or European rows.
Towing Capacity by Model Year, Trim & Market
24 rows. Click a column header to sort. Hover a header for what it means.
— marks a figure not found in any primary document
Max Towing Capacity By Model Year & Market
| Model Year | Trim | Market | Engine | Curb Weight (lb) | Max Towing (lb) | Tongue Weight (lb) | SAE J2807 Tested | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 2.0i Premium, 2.0i Limited (all Crosstrek trims) | US | 2.0L flat-4, 148 hp | 3,109–3,208 | — | — | Not disclosed | Subaru's own 2017 Crosstrek Specifications PDF (press kit) has NO towing-capacity line at all. Car-blog sites that cite '1,500 lb' for this year are not quoting Subaru's spec sheet. |
| 2018 | Base, Premium, Limited (all Crosstrek trims) | US | 2.0L flat-4, 152 hp | 3,113–3,230 | — | — | Not disclosed | First model year of the current (2nd-gen) Crosstrek on the Subaru Global Platform. Official spec sheet again omits towing capacity entirely. |
| 2019 | Base, Premium (Limited row not captured in extract) | US | 2.0L flat-4, 152 hp | 3,113–3,186 | — | — | Not disclosed | No towing-capacity line in the official 2019 Crosstrek Specifications PDF. |
| 2020 | Base, Premium, Limited (gas) | US | 2.0L flat-4, 152 hp | 3,117–3,263 | — | — | Not disclosed | No towing-capacity line in the official 2020 (gas) Crosstrek Specifications PDF. |
| 2020 | Crosstrek Hybrid (single trim) | US | 2.0L flat-4 + dual electric motors (hybrid) | 3,717 | 1,000 | 100 | Not disclosed | The gas Crosstrek's spec sheet omitted a tow rating this year, but the Hybrid's own spec sheet DID publish one: 1,000 lb, class 1, 100-lb tongue weight. |
| 2021 | Base, Premium (2.0L) | US | 2.0L flat-4, 152 hp | 3,117–3,223 | — | — | Not disclosed | First model year Subaru offered a 2.5L engine option on Crosstrek (Sport trim). No towing-capacity line in the official spec sheet for either engine. |
| 2021 | Sport, Limited (2.5L) | US | 2.5L flat-4, 182 hp / 176 lb-ft | 3,265–3,298 | — | — | Not disclosed | 2.5L engine debuts on Crosstrek this year (Sport trim adds it, Limited shares it). Still no published towing capacity. |
| 2021 | Crosstrek Hybrid (single trim) | US | 2.0L flat-4 + dual electric motors (hybrid) | — | 1,000 | — | Not disclosed | Figure is from the Subaru press-release body text ('1,000 lb. towing capacity'), not a spec-sheet table; curb weight and tongue weight were not stated in that document. |
| 2022 | Base, Premium (2.0L) | US | 2.0L flat-4, 152 hp | 3,117–3,223 | — | — | Not disclosed | No towing-capacity line in the official 2022 Crosstrek Specifications PDF or At-A-Glance PDF. |
| 2022 | Sport, Limited (2.5L) | US | 2.5L flat-4, 182 hp / 176 lb-ft | 3,265–3,298 | — | — | Not disclosed | Same omission as Base/Premium — Subaru's 2018–2022 spec sheets never list a Crosstrek tow rating. |
| 2023 | Base, Premium, Special Edition (2.0L) | US | 2.0L flat-4, 152 hp | 3,117–3,224 | 1,500 | 150 | Not disclosed | First model year since 2016 that Subaru's own Crosstrek Specifications PDF lists a towing capacity again: 1,500 lb, class 1, 150-lb tongue weight, same figure for 2.0L and 2.5L trims. |
| 2023 | Sport, Limited (2.5L) | US | 2.5L flat-4, 182 hp / 178 lb-ft | 3,265–3,298 | 1,500 | 150 | Not disclosed | Same 1,500 lb / 150-lb tongue rating as the 2.0L trims this year; no Wilderness trim yet (it launched for MY2024). |
| 2024 | Base, Premium (2.0L) | US | 2.0L flat-4, 152 hp | 3,277–3,296 | 1,500 | 400 | Not disclosed | Tongue weight allowance jumps from 150 lb (2023) to 400 lb this year even though max tow capacity holds at 1,500 lb. |
| 2024 | Sport, Limited (2.5L) | US | 2.5L flat-4, 182 hp / 178 lb-ft | 3,332–3,349 | 1,500 | 400 | Not disclosed | Confirmed via Subaru's 2024 At-A-Glance PDF, which states the Wilderness's 3,500 lb rating is '(up from 1,500 lbs in other Crosstrek models)' — i.e. Sport and Limited stay at 1,500 lb even with the 2.5L engine. |
| 2024 | Wilderness (new trim) | US | 2.5L flat-4, 182 hp / 178 lb-ft | 3,369 | 3,500 | 400 | Not disclosed | New-for-2024 trim. Rating more than doubles vs. every other Crosstrek trim because Wilderness adds an air-cooled transmission fluid cooler and a shorter 4.111 final-drive ratio (vs. 3.700). |
| 2025 | Base (2.0L) | US | 2.0L flat-4, 152 hp | 3,277 | 1,500 | 400 | Not disclosed | Figures unchanged from MY2024; confirmed in the 2025 Crosstrek Specifications PDF. |
| 2025 | Premium, Sport, Limited (2.5L) | US | 2.5L flat-4, 182 hp / 178 lb-ft | 3,296–3,349 | 1,500 | 400 | Not disclosed | Unchanged from 2024. |
| 2025 | Wilderness | US | 2.5L flat-4, 182 hp / 178 lb-ft | 3,369 | 3,500 | 400 | Not disclosed | Unchanged from 2024. |
| 2026 | Base, Premium, Sport, Limited | US | 2.5L flat-4, 180 hp / 178 lb-ft (2.0L dropped; 2.5L now standard on all gas trims) | 3,296–3,349 | 1,500 | — | Not disclosed | 2026 press kit text: 'Wilderness trim: 3,500 pounds ... Non-Wilderness trims: 1,500 pounds.' The 2026 Specifications PDF no longer prints a tongue-weight figure (it did in 2023–2025). |
| 2026 | Wilderness | US | 2.5L flat-4, 180 hp / 178 lb-ft | 3,369 | 3,500 | — | Not disclosed | Same 3,500 lb rating as 2024–2025; tongue weight not printed in the 2026 spec sheet. |
| current (~2026 MY) | Petrol AWD, all trims | Australia | 2.0L / 2.5L petrol (AU lineup) | — | 3,086 (1,400 kg braked) | — | Not disclosed | Subaru Australia's own towing page lists 1,400 kg braked for petrol Crosstrek — roughly DOUBLE the US 1,500 lb (680 kg) figure for the same generation of vehicle. |
| current (~2026 MY) | Hybrid, all trims | Australia | Hybrid | — | 2,800 braked (1,270 kg) / 1,433 unbraked (650 kg) | — | Not disclosed | Subaru Australia towing page. Hybrid rated lower than petrol AWD in the AU lineup, opposite of curb-weight intuition but consistent with reduced structural allowance for the hybrid battery pack. |
| 2021 | XV 1.6i (Trend/Comfort/Exclusive) | Europe (Germany) | 1.6L petrol, non-turbo | 3,104–3,150 (1,408–1,429 kg) | 3,086 (1,400 kg, braked, up to 12% grade) | 176 (80 kg) | Not disclosed | From Subaru Deutschland's official MJ2021 XV brochure/spec sheet. Unbraked rating: 1,653 lb (750 kg). European ratings are graded by hill incline (12% vs. 8%), a distinction the US spec sheets don't use. |
| 2021 | XV 2.0ie (Trend/Active/Comfort/Platinum) | Europe (Germany) | 2.0L petrol/e-Boxer | 3,426–3,472 (1,554–1,575 kg) | 2,800 (1,270 kg) at ≤12% grade, or 3,086 (1,400 kg) at ≤8% grade with a paid towbar upgrade | 176 (80 kg) | Not disclosed | Same brochure. The 2.0ie's braked capacity is LOWER than the smaller-engined 1.6i's at the standard 12% grade, but can be optioned up to match it at a shallower 8% grade — a nuance with no US equivalent. |
US columns are in pounds; Australian and European rows are converted from the manufacturer's kg figures (shown in parentheses in the cell) using 1 kg = 2.20462 lb. '—' means the figure was not present in any primary Subaru document fetched for this project — it does not mean the vehicle can't tow that amount, only that Subaru did not publish a number for it in the source checked. 2013–2016 model years (1st-gen XV Crosstrek launch through its facelift) are not covered here (see Gaps).
Sources
- 2017 Subaru Crosstrek Specifications (press-kit PDF) — Subaru of America (media.subaru.com)No towing-capacity line present.
- 2018 Subaru Crosstrek Specifications (press-kit PDF) — Subaru of America (media.subaru.com)No towing-capacity line present.
- 2019 Subaru Crosstrek Press Kit — Subaru of America (media.subaru.com)Links to 2019 Crosstrek Specifications PDF (bFileId=25623); no towing line.
- 2020 Subaru Crosstrek (gas) Specifications PDF — Subaru of America (media.subaru.com)No towing-capacity line present.
- 2020 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid Specifications PDF — Subaru of America (media.subaru.com)Curb weight 3,717 lb; towing 1,000 lb (class 1); 100-lb tongue capacity.
- 2021 Subaru Crosstrek Specifications PDF (new 2.5L engine year) — Subaru of America (media.subaru.com)No towing-capacity line for either 2.0L or 2.5L trims.
- 2021 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid Press Kit — Subaru of America (media.subaru.com)Press-release body text states 1,000 lb. towing capacity; no full spec table found for this trim/year.
- 2022 Subaru Crosstrek Specifications PDF — Subaru of America (media.subaru.com)No towing-capacity line present.
- 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Specifications PDF — Subaru of America (media.subaru.com)Towing capacity 1,500 lb (class 1); 150-lb tongue weight — first published rating since at least 2017.
- 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Specifications PDF — Subaru of America (media.subaru.com)Full table with per-trim curb weight, 1,500/3,500 lb towing, 400-lb tongue weight both ratings.
- 2024 Subaru Crosstrek At-A-Glance PDF — Subaru of America (media.subaru.com)Bullet: '3,500-lb. towing capacity (up from 1,500 lbs in other Crosstrek models)' — disambiguates that Sport/Limited stay at 1,500 lb.
- 2025 Subaru Crosstrek Specifications PDF — Subaru of America (media.subaru.com)Same figures as 2024: 1,500/3,500 lb, 400-lb tongue weight both ratings.
- 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Press Kit — Subaru of America (media.subaru.com)Prose confirms Wilderness 3,500 lb vs. non-Wilderness 1,500 lb; linked Specifications PDF (bFileId=46777) no longer prints tongue weight.
- Subaru Australia — Crosstrek towing capacities — Subaru (Australia) Pty Ltd (subaru.com.au)Petrol 1,400 kg braked; Hybrid 1,270 kg braked / 650 kg unbraked.
- Subaru Deutschland XV Prospekt / technische Daten (MJ2021) — Subaru Deutschland GmbH (subaru.de)Full technical-data table: Anhängelast (towing) gebremst/ungebremst, Stützlast (tongue), Leergewicht (curb weight), by 1.6i/2.0ie trim.
Method
Figures come from Subaru of America's own press-kit specification PDFs (media.subaru.com) for each US model year 2017–2026, extracted with pdfplumber, plus Subaru Australia's and Subaru Deutschland's official towing pages — 15 primary documents in total.
Gaps
Subaru's own spec sheets carry no tow rating at all for the gas Crosstrek across six straight model years, 2017–2022 — a confirmed, repeatedly-verified omission, not a missing lookup. SAE J2807 testing status is never disclosed for this model. No verified figures exist for model years 2013–2016 (1st-gen XV Crosstrek), and non-US coverage is limited to Australia's current lineup and Germany for MY2021 only.
geartowing
