Subaru XV: Fidgets take marks off fun ride

By David Linklater

NZ Herald·

23 Mar, 2012 04:30 PM3 mins to read

Subaru XV. Photo / Supplied

With so many automotive genres being bent these days, trying to sub-categorise the sub-categories gives me a headache.

But I have noticed an emerging trend within the crossover class for compact models that combine slightly surreal styling with high ride height and - this is the weird bit - really aggressive handling characteristics.

I'm talking Subaru XV, Nissan Juke, even the Citroen DS4. They're definitely crossovers, but they all look a little left of centre (a lot of coupe style in there) and they all attack corners in a surprisingly precise manner, with very little body roll.

The Subaru is perhaps the least quirky-looking of this group, being based on the forthcoming new-generation Impreza hatch, but the styling detail is a lot more wacky than anything the company has tried with its Outback or Forester models.

Our 2.0i test car is purple. Although Subaru calls it Cherry. You can have an orange one if you want. Although Subaru calls that Tangerine.

Anyway, wind up the boxer engine, tolerate the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) and the XV really can rocket around the corners. That shouldn't surprise, as Subaru has always been a driver-focused brand. But its larger Outback models have always erred on the side of compliance, as you'd expect of a crossover. Not this one.

Seems you get the best of all worlds, then. High ride height, the practicality of a five-door hatchback, the potential for excellent fuel economy (7.0 litres per 100km) and sporty handling.

How can it be so good at everything? Well, it can't. There's opportunity cost in endowing a high-riding vehicle with a dynamic character. The XV suffers from the same foible as the Juke and DS4: a hard, fidgety ride on the low-speed urban surfaces where it'll likely spend most of its time. Not hard enough to be wholly intrusive, but fussy enough to be noticeable most of the time.

The XV is fine on smooth surfaces, so for potential buyers, perhaps the style and handling ability will cancel out any reservations about ride.

The XV is an impressive machine - well-built and well-equipped even in $40,990 base-model 2.0i form. So that bodes well for the new Impreza, which launches in May. Perhaps you could wait for that and see where the handling/ride compromise lies.

Here's another unexpected talent: the XV stands very tall indeed, thanks to an impressive 220mm of ground clearance. That means you could actually do some light-duty off-roading if you wanted, as long as low-range and generous wheel travel aren't required. A crossover that you can take into the rough stuff: what'll they think of next?

The bottom line:
A highly practical compact-crossover with genuinely good dynamics. But we don't like the CVT gearbox or fidgety ride. You can fix the former with the manual gearbox option, the latter (maybe) by waiting for the new Impreza in May.