A much bolder Subaru Crosstrek
New chassis greatly improves ride and handling on this popular crossover
FTOCHIGI, Japan ollowing 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.
Stylistically, the Crosstrek 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-millimetre-longer wheelbase (now 2,665 mm) with shorter front and rear overhangs. More importantly, the Global Platform is 70 per cent stiffer torsionally than the outgoing unit. 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 French stitching brought some visual zing. It also comes with all the right kit — Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a backup camera viewed in the 6.5-inch base and 8-inch up-level infotainment touch screen, and on the lengthy list goes. The rear environment is equally accommodating. There is more rear seat legroom (26-mm) and extra space under the front seats for the rider’s feet. It also has a wider (100-mm), squared off opening for the trunk, with 588 litres capacity with the seats up and 1,565L folded down. The load floor is flat and there’s an under-floor storage spot for the privacy cover.
The Limited and Sport models come with blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, and are offered with Subaru’s EyeSight. It comes with pre-collision warning with brake assist, adaptive cruise control, lane departure/keep assist, high-beam assist and reverse automatic braking.
A full 80 per cent of the Crosstrek’s engine is new. The 2.0-litre flat-four boxer produces 152 horsepower (up four) and 148 pound-feet of torque. It works well with both transmissions. The manual moves from five-speed to six-speed and continuously variable transmission (CVT) is 85 per cent new. The former has a clean gate and works nicely with the engine, but it’s the CVT that’s going to be the more popular choice. When in drive it mimics the shifting characteristics of an automatic, which does away with almost all of the CVT drone under hard acceleration, meaning very little of the racket many dislike so much. When the CVT’s manual mode is selected there are seven preset ratios accessed through paddle shifters. The other strong reason to go CVT is fuel economy. The manual is rated at 10.5 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 8.1 L/100 km on the highway. The CVT returns 8.8 and 7.2 L/100 km, respectively.
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 front-torear 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’s both proactive and reactive, so it does what’s necessary in a fast and efficient manner — the secret lies in the multi-plate clutch that controls the power split.