With competition in the electrified passenger car segment heating up with every product cycle, one major automaker, in particular, seems a bit late to the party - Subaru. However, according to a recent spat of rumors, that could be changing very soon.

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The Full Story

The last time we saw a battery-boosted Subaru was back in 2016 with the poorly received Crosstrek hybrid, but now it’s looking like the Six-Star brand could be dipping its toe back into the EV pool sometime in the next six months.

The rumor springs from a recent trademark filing which, as of March 26th, gives Subaru exclusive rights to the name “Evoltis,” sparking rumors (see what I did there?) that Subaru is indeed cooking up a new electrified vehicle.

Unfortunately, the filing doesn’t provide any info on what exactly Subaru has planned for the Evoltis name, which means the brand could use it for either a hybrid or a fully electric model. That said, a plug-in hybrid seems like the most logical choice, as fully electric models are still pretty niche sellers, and odds are Subaru will need to polish it’s offerings a bit anyway before going battery-only.

Another possibility is that the name will be used with an entire range of vehicles, including both hybrids and EVs hailing from a variety of body styles.

We think the smartest move would be a hybrid compact crossover, at least from a sales point of view.

What’s more, if Subaru does head back to the EV segment, enthusiasts will no doubt ask what’s to come for its lineup of sports cars like the WRX and BRZ. Might we see extra power in the form of battery motivation, rather than turbocharger pressure? If that were the case, Subaru might even ditch its famous symmetrical AWD system in favor of an electric motor set-up in the corners.

Either way, speculation points to Subaru’s relationship with Toyota when it comes to sourcing the tech, which makes sense given the two Japanese manufacturers previous partnership with the 86/BRZ RWD coupe twins.

Moving on, we gotta say, Evoltis isn’t exactly the best name of all time. Then again, it isn’t the worst name, either (remember the Brat?). It’s actually pretty middle of the road in terms of car names, which, if we’re honest, is what Subaru is best at when it comes to this subjective stuff (styling included).

Regardless, Subaru is expected to reveal its first-ever PHEV by the end of the year. Look for more info then.

References

Read our full review on the 2018 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid.