Subaru Legacy hybrid coming soon? Toyota and Subaru close to partnership

Reports are circulating that Subaru will lease Toyota's hybrid technology, and that Subaru will help supply hybrid batteries to Toyota.

Subaru maker, Fuji Heavy, is partially owned by GM, which has a hybrid partnership with Chrysler, but that partnership is focused mostly on developing larger hybrid vehicles, particularly trucks and SUVs.

Subaru; however, wants to focus on utilizing Toyota's hybrid technology for it's Legacy and other North American models, and it sees Toyota's Prius hybrid technology as the answer.

Talks between Toyota President Fujio Cho and Fuji Heavy President Kyoji Takenaka are expected to take place soon.

This would mark the third automaker to lease Toyota's hybrid technology. Ford was the first to lease Toyota's revolutionary technology for its Escape hybrid, followed by Nissan for it's Altima hybrid.