How can I get multiple sub-references to appear as a range in the caption?

Question

I have 2 plots which in turn have 4 plots each, which I label as shown in the MWE. I am trying to get the caption of the figure to read:

Figure 1: (a)-(d) XYZ and (e)-(h) PQR

In the MWE I am doing it manually. How do I provide sub-references for all the figures such that I get the caption shown above? I cannot get \subref{fig_top_1,fig_top_2,fig_top_3,fig_top_4} to generate the desired. How can I get multiple sub-references to appear as a range in the caption (as above)?

MWE

\documentclass[a4paper,twoside,12pt]{article}
\usepackage{graphicx,float}
\usepackage[subrefformat=parens,labelformat=parens]{subfig}
\usepackage{cleveref}

\begin{document}
\begin{figure}[H]
    \centering
    \subfloat{\label{fig_top_1}}
    \subfloat{\label{fig_top_2}}
    \subfloat{\label{fig_top_3}}
    \subfloat{\label{fig_top_4}}    
    \includegraphics[width=70mm]{example-image-a}
    \subfloat{\label{fig_bottom_1}}
    \subfloat{\label{fig_bottom_2}}
    \subfloat{\label{fig_bottom_3}}
    \subfloat{\label{fig_bottom_4}}    
    \includegraphics[width=70mm]{example-image-b}

    \caption{\protect\subref{fig_top_1,fig_top_2,fig_top_3,fig_top_4} XYZ  
         and \protect\subref{fig_bottom_1}--\subref{fig_bottom_4} PQR}
    \label{fig_top_bottom}
\end{figure}

\end{document}

Answer 1

The following solution lets you use both \cref and \crefrange to create the cross-references. Note that \subref is not used.

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage[subrefformat=parens,labelformat=parens]{subfig}
\makeatletter 
\renewcommand\p@subfigure{} % no figure-number prefixes in cross-refs to subfigures
\makeatother

\usepackage{cleveref}
\crefformat{subfigure}{(#2#1#3)}
\crefrangeformat{subfigure}{(#3#1#4)--(#5#2#6)}

\begin{document}
\begin{figure}
    \centering
    \subfloat{\label{fig_top_1}}\subfloat{\label{fig_top_2}}
    \subfloat{\label{fig_top_3}}\subfloat{\label{fig_top_4}}    
    \includegraphics[width=70mm,height=30mm]{example-image-a}

    \subfloat{\label{fig_bot_1}}\subfloat{\label{fig_bot_2}}
    \subfloat{\label{fig_bot_3}}\subfloat{\label{fig_bot_4}}    
    \includegraphics[width=70mm,height=30mm]{example-image-b}

    \caption{\cref{fig_top_1,fig_top_2,fig_top_3,fig_top_4} XYZ and 
             \crefrange{fig_bot_1}{fig_bot_4} PQR}
    \label{fig_top_bot}
\end{figure}

\end{document}