CROSSTREK CONTINUES SUBARU’S IMPRESSIVE EVOLUTION
Subaru would like you to stop thinking of it as a niche brand, thank you very much. Since 2010, the automaker’s yearly sales in Canada have more than doubled from 23,000 units. The company has done solid work carving out a place in the automotive landscape not by mimicking its competitors, but by raising the bar for what consumers can demand — and receive — in the segments in which Subaru fields its vehicles.
But why not be niche? Blending in is for amateurs, determined to be all things to all people. Subaru should simply promise to be all things Subaru, labels be damned.
A recent drive in the all-new 2018 Subaru Crosstrek revealed a second hit with the new Subaru global platform. It’s auditioning under the new Impreza, and its introduction to the Crosstrek greatly steps up this subcompact SUV’s game. Or compact SUV. Or compact car. Subaru is attempting to straddle a few Venn diagram borders with the Crosstrek, some I can reasonably see and some I can’t.
It’s a little bigger than most subcompacts, and a little smaller than the compacts. Its reach to the car segment — including the Honda Civic, the Mazda3 and VW’s Golf and Jetta — I can only see as a projection on the fact the North American market seems to believe it needs more car than it does.
Subaru has long been defined by its sporty attributes and even more sporty buyers. Subie owners are loyal, retained value is high, and if you announce you’ve bought a Subaru, it might be the only make you don’t get a lot of argument about. Dealers are responsive, something I attribute to the niche-ness of the brand.
It’s that sporty reputation that is working on the Crosstrek’s side. It’s entirely workable in urban settings through the week, and beyond capable for the weekend warriors who want to strap anything to the roof (Subaru sells a variety of roof rack systems to customize your bike/board/boat requirements) and head for the hills.
Speaking of those hills, the 2018 Crosstrek has a six-speed manual transmission (up from last year’s five) on offer at three levels, but I’d pass. It’s not that it’s awful (well, it kind of is), it’s that the continuously variable transmission (CVT) is that good.
The X-Mode, which comes on all CVT options, is impressive. We were banging it through water holes and heading it up 74-degree inclines, the kind where you can only see the sky through the windshield. Not a whimper. The hill-descent mode has you hanging from your seatbelt, feet off the pedals, as the vehicle tracks itself back to safety. I’ve done it in vehicles that cost four times as much and this compared amazingly well.
CVTs are generally regarded as the bastard child of transmissions. Lugging and pulling, wheezing and whining, they are good for fuel economy but suck most of the joy out of driving in too many incarnations. Subaru has paired one of the better CVTs with its new global platform, a lighter, more rigid body with a more nimble suspension system. The result is a quieter ride, less body roll in tight corners and better handling that maintains Subaru’s already stellar safety ratings, one the company realistically anticipates the 2018 Crosstrek will repeat.
Available in several trims in four models — Convenience, Touring, Sport and Limited — the interiors reveal Subaru upping what had previously been its weaker suit. The 2018 Crosstrek features Apple Car Play and Android Auto in every model and a useful smaller horizontal screen above the larger one that keeps pertinent info in your line of sight without tugging your attention from the road.
Subaru is proud of the double-needle orange stitching that complements the upholstery inside the new Crosstrek; it might be one of the only ways for prospective buyers to remember which compact (or subcompact) SUV they test-drove last. The styling and shape of nearly everything in this segment are all much of a muchness, but they’ll duke it out in advertised cargo space, and how accessible that cargo space really is.
The new Crosstrek has punched out the rear entry a few millimetres, enough that you don’t have to cantilever your golf bags to get them in.
Compact SUVs and subcompact SUVs all look like they’re carved from the same block of wood. Most are sold in a variety of colours, ranging from black to white to grey and more grey, though Subaru had us in two new entries: Sunshine Orange, which is very orange, and Cool Grey Khaki, which is light blue. You’ll want to put the Crosstrek on your comp list because of what’s under it, not because you can pick it out of a police lineup.
Pricing for the 2018 starts at $23,695 for the six-speed manual transmission you don’t want, but just $24,995 for the CVT you do. Fully loaded Crosstreks top out at $33,195, with lots of choice in between those two price points.