What is it?
Subaru dealer forecourts may have long bid goodbye to saloons that could profess to be World Rally Championship winners, but the permanent Symmetrical All Wheel Drive system they helped establish has now become a key part of the brand’s SUV range.
That includes the compact Subaru XV, making this one of the few crossovers that actually has some semblance of ability away from the asphalt - a claim to which it can now add the economy-boosting benefits of a hybrid powertrain.
After the axing of the boxer diesel engine back in 2018, partly in response to the shifting public opinion on filling from the black pump but mainly down to the cost of reengineering to meet WLTP emissions standards, this battery-assisted petrol flat-four is now the most efficient model in the XV line-up, promising a combined 35.8mpg.
It pairs a 16bhp electric motor and small battery to the familiar naturally aspirated 2.0-litre unit, sending power to all four wheels through a CVT automatic gearbox.
The XV is otherwise the same capable, well-equipped crossover as before, complete with Subaru’s extensive Eyesight driver assistance system and a fairly extensive standard kit list in SE Premium trim.
We tried a left-hand-drive car in Latvia late last year, but this was our first opportunity for a longer test on UK roads.
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I have a 2018 version of the XV, having moved from Honda after more than 40 years since they do not make a suitable replacement for my 20 years old CR-V (the current CR-V is the size of Texas, and the HR-V is not imported in 4x4 guise).
Having driven it in all conditions for almost 12 months, on all variations of road surfaces and in all weathers including snow I can say that I am absolutely delighted with the car. Apart from the feel of a superbly-engineered vehicle with excellent fit and finish inside and out, the ride and handling are excellent and I find the drive-train, including the Autocar-maligned 150bhp engine and perfectly-matched CVT responsive and brisk enough to give safe overtaking and decent cruising at motorway speeds ( and I am not talking about 60mph in the nearside lane!). I also particularly like the growl that the boxer engine gives under acceleration, and the CVT is prefectly matched, and NEVER noisy or intrusive.Fuel consumption even driven at brisk speeds is 35+ mpg , more than 50% better than my similarly specced CR-V. In fact it it difficult to discerne from the sound it is not a conventional auto box, although I prefer this iteration of CVT because it gives totally smooth gear transitions, with the added bonus of clutchless manual changes that are very useful for getting just the correct balance through more demanding bends. Most of the time it stays in drive, and somehow seems to be perfectly matched to all my normal driving. I have driven previous Honda CVT gearboxes, and find this a vast improvement.
So I really cannot recognise the car the Autocar team tested as the one I own and love. Having enjoyed many decades of very well engineered Honda cars of all types and generations I am delighted that I may be starting a similar relationship with Subaru. Just test drive an XV yourself rather than being put off by Autocar-you will not be disappointed.
A vehicle like this, which
A vehicle like this, which will be bought by people who genuinely need off road capabilities, as opposed to driving around cities, really ought to still have a diesel option.
Odear
Awful review awful car. Has two things going for it, good off-road and very cheap (it would have to be) secondhand. Mind you if they don't sell any there'll be none available
xxxx wrote:
Based on this review it's far from an awful car. It's well built, likely to be reliable, it rides well, it's well equipped and good off-road. Overall maybe not a great small SUV, but like I said, far from awful.
2 star car from WhatCar
"We typically saw touring economy figures dip below 30mpg", £33k, "touchscreen infotainment system lags behind, though, with dated graphics and sluggish responses", "peak torque delivered at 4000rpm, the engine needs stretching to make any significant progress.", "noisy long-distance journeys", " it’s impossible to miss as it jostles the car forward", 10.7 secs to 60.
Sounds awful to me for £33k, but as I said good off-road.