Subaru XV

The small SUV market has continued to boom over the last five years, despite the new car market shrinking overall, so the XV is a smart move from Subaru. For adventurous families its rugged styling and spacious interior will appeal, and it’s fun to drive fast too. We’d trade some body control for a more comfortable ride though, and the cabin quality is still lacking. The XV is very nearly a very good car, but difficult to recommend.

There are some big changes going on at Subaru. First the BRZ coupe, introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show, added some much needed sparkle to the line-up and now the XV crossover has arrived to boost flagging sales figures in Europe. Subaru’s answer to the Nissan Qashqai, Mitsubishi ASX and Hyundai ix35 should open up the brand to a whole new type of customer, but is it a genuine contender in this lucrative segment?

With its established models like the Forester and Outback, Subaru has always had a reputation for building robust and reliable cars. But the XV has been tasked with breaking that mould and bringing some more style and finesse to the table. Cast your eye over the exterior though and it’s clear the XV hasn’t forgotten its roots.

The hexagonal front grille and ‘hawk eye’ headlights make it unmistakeably a Subaru, while the jutting rear bumper and carefully placed plastic cladding give it a sturdy appearance. It’s a well-balanced profile and the newly designed 17-inch aluminium wheels add some unexpected flair.

On the inside Subaru has made a concerted effort to up the quality, and it shows. Soft-touch padding on the dashboard and upper door trims is a welcome addition, while the layout, consisting of three large dials for the air-con and a pair of colour displays for the sat-nav and other vehicle information, is logical and easy to use. Unfortunately there’s still cheap scratchy plastics on the centre console, glovebox and door trim that drag the premium feel down.

A thin and steeply-raked A-pillar means visibility is excellent, while there’s loads of legroom for rear passengers. Boot space is impressive too – 380 litres with the rear seats up and 1,270 litres with them folded flat, which is a full 410 litres more than the Qashqai.

There are three engines on offer - new 1.6 and 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol units, both available with a manual or CVT gearbox,  and the familiar 2.0-litre boxer diesel which is only offered with a six-speed manual. We drove the latter as, despite being the most expensive, it’s predicted to be the biggest seller in the UK.

It’s an impressive engine – smooth, punchy and eager to rev, although there’s little benefit to letting it spin past 3,500rpm. Fuel economy and CO2 emissions of 50.4mpg and 146g/km respectively won’t win any environmental awards, but are virtually identical to the equivalent Mitsubishi ASX, so at least it’s on a par with its peers. The gearshift has a fairly long-throw action, but it’s smoother to use than the manual ‘box on the current Impreza.

With its rallying heritage, you’s expect a Subaru to handle well, and the XV doesn’t disappoint. The steering could do with some more feedback, but there’s nothing wrong with the way the XV corners – resisting body roll and gripping the tarmac tightly as Subaru’s standard-fit AWD system constantly shuffles torque to the wheel that needs it the most.

After you’ve finished throwing it around in the bends, refinement on the motorway is also a plus with barely a whisper from under the bonnet and only a faint rustle from the wing mirrors. It’s a shame then that the ride is a touch too firm, especially at low speeds on bad surfaces around town – precisely where Subaru sees the XV spending most of its time.