The Subaru Crosstrek will gain more power with a 2.5-liter Boxer engine for the 2021 model year, but it will likely be losing the 6-speed manual transmission. Subaru CEO Tom Doll broke the news about the Crosstrek Sport at a NADA meeting last week. Subaru listened and will bring the subcompact SUV with more horsepower in the new Sport and Limited trims. What Subaru won’t offer customers is a higher-horsepower Crosstrek with the 6-speed manual gearbox.

Subaru has already dropped the manual gearbox in the Forester, Outback, and Legacy models, and currently, you can still get a 6-speed manual in the 2020 Crosstrek Base and Premium trims. There are only two 2020 Impreza models left (Base and Impreza Sport 5-Door) with the manual rower.



You can still get a manual gearbox in 2020 Subaru Crosstrek Base and Premium trims

New 2021 Crosstrek Sport and Limited will be powered by the same 2.5-liter engine as in the Forester. These trims will come mated with a Lineartronic CVT automatic with Adaptive Control, incline assist, and 8-speed manual mode with steering wheel paddle shifters. It’s highly unlikely it will be offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The 2021 Crosstrek Limited will also get the new 2.5-liter engine, and as with the current trim, you won't be able to get a manual transmission in Limited models.

The new 2021 Subaru Crosstrek Sport will slot after the Premium trim and should get similar upgrades like the new Forester Sport with Dual-function X-Mode with Hill Descent Control, SI-DRIVE with Sport Sharp mode, Black 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, roof rails with integrated tie-downs, front, rear and side under guards with colored accents, and gloss black and additional colored exterior accents.



The 2021 Crosstrek Sport will likely get Dual-function X-Mode

Why is Subaru dropping the manual transmission in all its SUVs?

We reached out to Subaru of America and they told Torque News they only sell 6 percent of its Crosstrek models with a 6-speed manual transmission. The other 94 percent get the Lineartronic CVT automatic transmission or the upgraded Lineartronic with 8-speed manual mode with steering wheel paddle shifters.

It’s a trend many automakers are making, and the end of the manual transmission is coming. For many automaker's sales numbers of the manual gearbox, cars are dropping. For Subaru, it’s about sales but it’s more about safety. Subaru will drop all manual shifters in their cars soon to bring EyeSight driver assist technology as standard equipment to their entire SUV lineup. EyeSight cannot be fitted on a manual transmission car, so those models will all be gone soon.

The Japanese automaker has not officially announced the new 2021 Subaru Crosstrek Sport and we’ll have to wait for specifications. Look for Subaru to drop the 6-speed manual gearbox in all Crosstrek trims soon.

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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a variety of roles. All of his reports are archived on our Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Subaru Report. Check back tomorrow for more Subaru news and updates at Torque News!

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Photo credit: Subaru CA, Timmons Subaru