Subaru Is Killing Its Iconic Boxer Engine In Europe After 2027 – Here's Why

Subaru is known for its affordable, standard all-wheel drive vehicles, excellent safety ratings, and durable build quality. If you know your way around cars, you probably also recognize the automaker for its boxer engines. In 1966, the automaker standardized this engine across its entire lineup, and it's still the company's engine of choice in every one of its internal-combustion (ICE) models. That's about to change, however — at least in Europe.

Subaru plans to kill the boxer engine in the European market at the end of 2027. The automaker, which currently offers a broad lineup of ICE vehicles in the U.S., already sells a much more limited fleet of only hybrid or pure electric vehicles in Europe. It will discontinue the Outback at the end of 2027, followed shortly thereafter by the hybrid Impreza, Crosstrek, and Forester. At time of writing, these plans are only in effect for the European market. Subuaru will continue to sell vehicles with the boxer engine in the U.S.

These changes will leave the European market with a choice of only three Subaru models: the all-wheel drive electric Solterra, Uncharted, and E-Outback. The historic shift is primarily due to stricter emissions and safety standards in that part of the world. The EU, which previously targeted a total ban on combustion engines by 2035, is poised to loosen those restrictions slightly with the aim of reducing CO2 emissions by 87.5% from 2021 levels by that same year.

The boxer engine was invented by Karl Benz, half of the founding team of Mercedes-Benz, in 1887. It received its unusual moniker because the horizontal movement of the pistons mirrors a boxer throwing punches. There are several advantages to this type of engine. It tends to produce less vibration, and its lower center of gravity gives the vehicle better stability and handling. Because it's mounted lower, the engine is forced downwards instead of upwards in a frontal collision, helping protect those in the cabin.

The boxer engine is also an integral part of Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system. This system sits on top of the engine and is able to provide variable power to the wheels because of the boxer engine's smaller, balanced design.

If all-wheel drive is why you're a Subaru fan in the first place, never fear — its electric and hybrid options offer this off-roading must-have. The E-Outback currently sold in the EU has Permanent All-Wheel Drive. All electric offerings in the U.S., which currently include the Uncharted, the Solterra, the TrailSeeker, and the upcoming Getaway, have Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive systems. This year, the automaker revised its EV plans for the U.S. market, however, and shelved plans for electric vehicles to account for half of its global sales by 2030. For now, the boxer engine is alive and well in the American market.