GOOD-LOOKING RIG
SUBARU CROSSTREK ONE OF THE COMPANY’S TOP SELLERS.
• Following hot on the tires of a complete remake of the Impreza comes the second vehicle to use Subaru’s new Global Platform: the Crosstrek. It ranks as one of the company’s top sellers, so getting it wrong was not an option. The second generation will be offered in Convenience, Touring, Sport and Limited models.
The Crosstrek’s style is bolder, with a wider stance, chiselled lines and a sweeping roofline. The look has remained remarkably true to the funky concept shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 2016. It is a good-looking rig that rides on a 30-millimetrelonger wheelbase (now 2,665 mm) with shorter front and rear overhangs. The new platform is 70-per-cent stiffer than the outgoing unit and during the test it made a world of difference, bringing a more athletic drive with a faster response to input.
The cabin has been reworked to great effect. The materials are very good; the two-tone grey leather upholstery on the Limited added a light airy feel to the cabin, while the contrasting orange stitching brought visual zing. It also comes with all the right kit: Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a rearview camera in the 6.5- inch base and eight-inch up-level infotainment touch screen, and on the lengthy list goes.
The rear is equally accommodating. There is more rear- seat legroom and extra space under the front seats for the rider’s feet. It also has a wider opening for the trunk, with 588 litres capacity with the seats up and 1,565 L folded down. The load floor is flat and there’s an under-floor storage spot.
The Limited and Sport models come with blind-spot monitoring and rear crosstraffic alert, and are offered with Subaru’s EyeSight. It comes with pre- collision warning with brake assist, adaptive cruise control, lanedeparture/keep assist, highbeam assist and reverse automatic braking.
A full 80 per cent of the Crosstrek’s engine is new. The 2.0- L flat- four boxer produces 152 horsepower (up four) and 148 pound-feet of torque. It works well with both transmissions. The manual moves from a five- speed to a sixspeed and the continuously variable transmission (CVT) is 85-per-cent new.
Naturally, both transmissions come with Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive. The manual box is teamed with a viscous coupling that splits the power evenly frontto-rear and locks when needed. Again, the better choice is the system that comes with the CVT. It sends 60 per cent of the power forward and 40 to the rear, and it is both proactive and reactive.
Subaru’s X-Mode is a new addition to Crosstrek. It’s geared toward off-road situations and works at speeds of up to 40 km/ h. When engaged through a consolemounted button, it picks a lower set of gear ratios than normal, remaps the throttle according to the conditions and allows the stability control system to let a wheel slip to maintain momentum.
When demonstrated, the differences between on and off were manifold. Rather than seeing the opposite front and rear wheels spin needlessly, with X- Mode engaged, the system used the brakes to force the power to the wheel with grip. It also works to provide downhill descent control.
Perhaps the single biggest improvement is found in the suspension and steering. Both have been reworked to produce a crossover that drives like a sports sedan, but with some off-road ability.
The first couple of laps around the high-banked oval at Subaru’s proving grounds was in a Limited CVT wearing P225/50R18 tires. The response to steering input was very quick ( it uses the same steering setup as the BRZ) and there was very little body roll, even during highspeed lane changes. Much of the credit, steering aside, is down to the standard brakebased torque vectoring and the rear anti- roll bar, which is attached to the body rather than the subframe. This simple move, says Subaru, cuts the amount of roll in half.
The second trip was in a Sport model with the manual gearbox and stock P225/ 60R17 tires. It felt slightly softer in i ts responses; it’s likely the taller side walls and different AWD system were the reason. It made a good argument for moving up to the Limited and its larger tires. When the Crosstrek is so equipped it’s easily the best of the current compact crossovers when it comes to driving dynamics.
On the off-road, the Limited worked equally well. With its 220 mm of ground clearance, 18- degree approach and 29-degree departure angles, it proved to be as adept off- road as it was pounding the high- banked oval. Even as the rocks made it feel like I was driving on ball bearings, the Crosstrek retained its composure. It climbed and descended a 22- degree grade — on loose surface — with a sure-footed feel.
The pricing ranges from $ 23,695 for the entry- level Convenience with a manual ( down $ 1,300 from the outgoing base model) to $33,195 for the full-zoot Limited with EyeSight safety features. The vastly improved Crosstrek hits Canadian showrooms next month.