Subaru XV

By: Alex Forrest

Subaru’s baby SUV has a special point of difference from its competitors in this super-heated part of the new car marketplace: symmetrical all-wheel drive.

Both the front and rear wheels have drive going to them all the time whenever it is being driven, which is in contrast to systems which have sensors picking up when the wheels are losing traction and then engaging them reactively.    

There is another distinguishing factor with the XV – it has the highest ride height in its class, and this combined with its all-wheel drive system gives it excellent off road ability. 

The XV was first launched in 2012, and this is the model’s first major upgrade since then. In fact, Subaru have said 95 per cent of the car is new, though to the casual observer it looks quite similar to the old one.

The 2.0-litre, flat-four cylinder engine has been tweaked to extract an extra 5kW, taking the total to 115kW. Torque output remained the same at 196Nm, though it now comes in at 4000rpm, which is 600rpm earlier than the old model, making it a bit more accessible.

These changes have been partly due to the adoption of direct fuel injection in the XV, which is not the only change under the bonnet.

Subaru says around 80 per cent of the engine components have been revised for improved efficiency and lighter weight. The latter has resulted in a 12kg weight saving.

However, there are some stronger performers among the XV’s competition. This includes the 1.6-turbo petrol available in the Hyundai Kona and the torquey 2.3-litre diesel in the Mitsubishi ASX.

The CVT transmission can accentuate the XV’s hard-working flat four when you’re asking for most of what it’s got, though in light, around-town driving it’s not as obvious.  Still, the XV has better off-road credentials than both the above vehicles. 

The improvement in the build quality of the interior is marked, and considerably more upmarket and cohesive in its design than the superseded model.

Plus, Subaru’s change to annual servicing for the XV is a significant improvement over its previous six-monthly requirement, both in terms of convenience and cost.