new subaru xv review:
Subaru Australia boss Nick Senior reminds us that they were the first company in Australia to have five-star safety across its range. "You can't be reactive in safety. You have to be proactive and we traditionally have been," he says. The new Impreza and XV come with seven airbags, including full-length curtain airbags and a knee bag for the driver.
Neither has been crash tested yet, but Subaru product GM Akihide Takeuchi expects that they will retain their five-star ratings. Other improvements in safety concentrate on improving visibility: The front seats have been raised, the A pillar has been narrowed and the door mirrors are 20 per cent larger. The body and chassis are 20kg lighter but are also 10 per cent stiffer and therefore safer, Takeuchi says.
DESIGN
Takeuchi says the cars have been designed from customer feedback wanting a sleeker exterior and more luxurious interior with more soft-touch surfaces and quality controls. The windscreen is raked, the bodywork more sculptured and muscular, and the headlights are sharper and more defined. The XV has high ground clearance of 220mm (same as the Forester), but has a lower body height than most compact SUVs for a rakish, sporty crossover look.
Impreza is now 25mm longer in the wheelbase but the overall length remains the same which means interior legroom is improved. The higher front seats in the Impreza also allow rear passengers more legroom while both models have scalloped out the backs of the front seats for better knee room.
Subaru has lowered the roof of the Impreza by 10mm, but the door sills have been dropped 30mm to allow easier access. The front door hinges have been slanted three degrees forward so the top of the door is further away from the car which allows more room to get in and out in tight carpark situations. The rear doorway also has a deeper access area.
The interior feels more airy with the thinner A pillars and the horizontal lines across the dashboard. Door thickness has also been reduced for more shoulder and elbow room. Storage bins abound in both models with door pockets that fit a water bottle and an A4 folder or laptop.
The centre console has a clever clip holder for a notebook and a pen so they don't rattle around. The cargo area is flat with a low loading lip and flat-folding rear seats. Underneath is a space-saver tyre, wide enough in the XV to still permit towing for a short distance. There are 10 exterior colours for both models, but the XV gets the special Tangerine Orange Pearl. Subaru is one of the few companies that doesn't charge extra for metallic or pearlescent paint.
DRIVING
The new cars were launched last weekend at the Fuji Heavy Industries Subaru research and development centre and proving ground at Kuzu in central Japan. It's a hilly area surrounded by forests inhabited by black bears, so Subaru is not concerned about spies taking photos of their cars in testing.
We were only allowed two laps in each car on the high-speed bowl and three laps of a shorter twisty and bumpy circuit. About 12km in all. Not a thorough workout by any means, but enough to draw initial impressions.
The soft interior plastic surfaces and firmer controls, such as the new door handles, give the cars a feeling of quality. However, the thinner dors feel a little flimsy when closing. Cargo space in the XV is disappointing, but similar to its sub-compact SUV competitors.
On the road, they run quiet and smooth thanks to the new transmissions, but the wind noise from the larger door mirrors is increased. The frisky Impreza feels light and more flickable while the XV lumbers into corners, changes direction too slowly and over mid-corner bumps it hit the bumps stops several times and the tyre scrubbed the inside of the wheel arches.
Takeuchi says the secret to the Impreza's deft handling is its low centre of gravity which is 504mm from the ground, comparing favourably with the Porsche Cayman S at 485mm. The CVT is smooth, responsive and seamless, but works best when used in manual mode with the paddle shifters, while the six-speed manual is a little notchy and it can be difficult to quickly engage third or fifth gears.
Subaru is making a quick turnaround with its XV Concept car by offering up a production model in the same year. The concept was revealed at the 2011 Shanghai Motor Show while the production version was officially unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Known as the Impreza Outback in the US market, the new XV Crosstrek was introduced to show an SUV that will "define a new generation of Subaru crossover vehicles."
The concept was favorably received globally thanks to its distinctive and trendy design which blend a crossover-like commanding silhouette and an urban friendly image into one harmonious and elegant package. The Subaru XV’s design symbolizes the fusion of SUV functionality and urban persona. IT carries a crossover design that combines a stylish, flowing form with the overall functionality of an SUV.
The hexagon grille and hawk eye headlights emphasize a unique identity of Subaru’s future line-up of vehicles. The corners of the front and rear bumpers come with special edges that aids and improves aerodynamic performance, which in turn provides better fuel economy.
The interior of the XV is as roomy and spacious as any of its contemporaries. Combine that with a stylish design that perfectly balances the different tactile and emotional qualities of leather, metal, and cloth and you have the best of luxury and modern-day technology in one fine interior cabin.
Whereas the concept car was powered by a 2.0-liter four cylinder horizontally-opposed DOHC engine with an output of 150 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 146 lb/ft at 4,200 rpm, the XV Crosstrek will carry the same powertrain while also coming with a more palatable 1.6-liter petrol variant, as well as a 2.0-liter Boxer diesel engine.
subaru xv commercial:
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