XV is surprisingly good off-road
The Impreza-based crossover is fuel-thirsty and can be noisy when pushed
Subaru has always been a somewhat outré company — one need only look back at the wedgy XT and SVX to get the picture. Of late, however, the company has started to move ever closer to the mainstream, as witnessed by the likes of the Legacy and Impreza. Now come two left-fielders in the form of the BRZ and XV Crosstrek. The former is a sports car minus Subaru’s trademark symmetrical all-wheel-drive system; the latter is a ride I had trouble understanding.
Based on the Impreza, the XV Crosstrek succeeds in the utility area. With rear seats upright, there’s 22.3 cubic feet of space. With the 60/40-split/ folding seats down, there’s a respectable 51.9 cu. ft on a flat floor with minimal intrusions into the usable space. It also earns a privacy cover to keep prying eyes off the cargo and a rear washer/wiper. The only thing missing proved to be a backup camera. The liftgate’s tall beltline left a lot of real estate hidden when backing up.
The rest of Crosstrek’s interior is all Subaru, which means it’s entirely logical. The controls are all situated where they are readily accessed and the radio sits high enough that it can be operated while relying on one’s peripheral vision. There is also a handy 4.3-inch display screen atop the centre stack that shows everything from trip information to the manner in which the power is being put to the pavement — even the pictogram’s front wheels turn with steering wheel input.
Likewise, there’s plenty of room, the front seats are comfortable and deliver superior long-distance comfort, and the steering wheel tilts and telescopes, so finding the right driving position is simple. It has all the things that are desirable in any cabin with but one exception — it is overwhelmingly bland. There is nothing that puts any visual zing in the layout. Function must have a little fashion if it is to have that allimportant visual appeal.
As expected, the XV employs Subaru’s 2.0-litre boxer four, putting forth 148 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque at a respectable 4,200 rpm. The boxer engine does have a somewhat gruff tone, but it’s a smooth operator that does not mind revving. The tester’s power was relayed to the road through all four wheels and Subaru’s Lineartronic or continuously variable transmission (CVT), (there is a manual available). The excellent all-wheel-drive system gets the job done with such little fuss, the driver remains unaware of its action other than there is never any unwanted wheelspin.
The transmission, unfortunately, proved to be anything but excellent. It became continuously annoying because of the way it pegged the engine at the top of the rev range whenever I stomped the gas, which made things noisy. It also explained why the CVT model gets a hood insulator, while the manual transmission model does not. The silver lining is that the manual mode is accessed through paddle shifters re- gardless of shifter position. I was still left wondering what’s wrong with the good old five-, six-, seven- or eightspeed automatic transmissions that are still so popular.
As for performance, the XV Crosstrek does feel peppy, but putting a stopwatch on it told a very different story. The occupants are forced to listen to the engine for 10.8 seconds when accelerating from rest to 100 kilometres an hour, (8.1 seconds for the 80-to-120-km/h passing move). Then came the knee to the nether region: Crosstrek sucked back 10.1 litres per 100 km during the test period — a lot more than the 8.2 and 6.0 L/100 km city/ highway claimed.
Crosstrek’s body does roll because the ride height has been jacked up to 220 millimetres. This tends to introduce a little vagueness in the steering’s feedback. Understeer also surfaces when the XV is pushed toward its limit.
The ride, however, is refined. Off-road, the elevated ground clearance does allow the XV Crosstrek to traverse some surprisingly gnarly terrain with aplomb.
Over the past 25 years, I’ve tested hundreds of vehicles and, without exception, I have understood the concept. However, the XV Crosstrek mystifies me.
If a customer seeks a capable five-door hatchback, there is Subaru’s Impreza. It has the same versatility, but it comes with crisper handling, better fuel economy and a sharper price point. For buyers after a sport-ute, there is the mighty fine Forester.
So, where, exactly, does the XV Crosstrek fit in? Driving it did not answer that question for me.