Subaru XV - Came With A Decent Level Of Kit

The Impreza-based crossover rubs shoulders with some tough competitors, especially at the $39,000 price of our one. So did hold its own over seven hard-worked months?

How rugged do you like your crossovers? Do you want the emphasis on cross-country ability or school-run prowess? Are you likely to liberally smear rural mud in the cabin every time you jump in, or is your major cleaning drama likely to occur when little Freddie wipes his chocolate- covered paws on the upholstery?

Your answers to such questions which I’ve spent the past few months chewing over as I’ve lived with Subaru’s new crossover could determine whether the all-wheel-drive XV holds appeal as a potential purchase.

Subaru XV

Like other vehicles from Subaru, the XV brings rustic appeal and authentic off-road credentials to the passenger car market. I’ve always felt that there was something endearingly earnest in Subaru’s approach to car making. Leaving aside cars such as the collaborative BRZ/Toyota GT86, the brand has remained solidly faithful to its boxer engine and all-wheel drive philosophies.

As a rally fan, the first image that still pops into my mind when anyone utters the word ‘Subaru’ is of Colin McRae or Petter Solberg hustling an Impreza WRC up a forest track. It’s an identity that Subaru has sought to leave behind since it withdrew from rallying and charted a course into more family-orientated areas of the car markets.

The big challenge - especially when it comes to this new model, launched last year to sit between the Impreza and Forester in the marque’s product range - is that it puts Subaru head to head with some extremely serious and accomplished opposition.

Matt collected his XV from an ex-Saab dealer.

XV offers enough fun to keep its driver interested.

Good mid-range pull limited the use of this.

We averaged 42.5mpg; more is achievable.

The 380-liter boot was often found wanting.

Subaru's own marketing literature for the XV refers to its rivals as the Audi Q3, BMW XI, Ford Kuga, Hyundai ix35, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5, Mitsubishi ASX, Nissan Qashqai, Skoda Yeti and Volkswagen Tiguan. That’s an illustrious list. After all, the Qashqai is a fixture in the top 10 list of best-selling cars in the UK, and there are rivals named here that can offer more interior space, better- appointed cabins or superior diesel fuel economy than the XV.

So what does the XV offer that could make it stand apart from its opposition? Its strongest suits are safety - it has excellent NCAP scores for passenger protection, which could be a major draw for families and rugged practicality.

The latter was emphasized in my seven months at the wheel. Subaru is too honest in its approach to make a faux off-roader that looks like it could scale a mountain but flails wildly when presented with anything more extreme than a speed hump.

No, the XV has a touch of authentic off-road capability, thanks to the highest ride height of any car in its class, at 220mm. In our first week of ownership, the XV acted as a support vehicle for an off-road photo shoot. Those who drove it came back impressed with the new Subaru’s rough-riding prowess, at least up to the point where its all-weather tires reached the limit of their capabilities.

Of course, most crossovers of this type spend their days firmly on road rather than off it. During our daily journeys, the XV offered fairly responsive and sporty handling for a crossover, but the pay-off was a brittle ride that actually seemed to either deteriorate over time or simply become contemptuously familiar.

It detracted from the XV’s cruising ability, something that was hammered home during a journey north on the M6, on which every expansion joint came noisily jolting into the cabin with an accompanying ‘the-dunk’. We also didn’t enjoy the Notchy gear change or the raucous note from the diesel boxer engine, especially when pulling away from a standstill.

But if the ride was the downside of long trips in the XV, the upside was good economy, particularly when frugal driving techniques were employed in our 2.0-liter oil-burning variant. In the right mood, I could get our car encouragingly close to the claimed combined figure of 50.4mpg. But our machine was piloted by a variety of drivers, and our overall average ended up at 42.5mpg. A careful daily driver could achieve more.

In keeping with Subaru’s no-nonsense approach, there isn’t a huge list of expensive options on offer. Our mid-spec SE version came with a decent level of kit, as you’d expect on car that’s priced at $39,445.

The higher-spec SE Lux Premium gets leather seats, keyless entry and a push-button start, satellite navigation and a sunroof, but it comes with a price of just under $45k.

Did we miss any of the extras? Well, there were occasions when I would have appreciated sat-nav - not least during a wasted afternoon spent trying to negotiate Newcastle’s city center although this being a no-nonsense Subaru, I felt a certain amount of pressure to channel my inner Bear Grylls and navigate using the sun and moon.

Although the XV possesses a generous amount of cleverly placed cubbyholes in the cabin, load space in the boot isn’t particularly impressive, at a seats-up 380 liters. For a three-person trek to the Lake District for a week, it was necessary to fold 40 per cent of the split rear seat to accommodate the luggage. I can foresee that a four or five-person family could well struggle for load space.

The generous level of equipment on our car also includes Bluetooth, dual-zone air conditioning, heated seats and an excellent, pin-sharp reversing camera. However, the cabin layout that houses all of this useful kit looks extremely dated, with shiny black plastic across the dashboard and a radio display that wouldn’t look out of place in a 1990s German car.

Our time with the car proved that the surfaces are hard-wearing enough to withstand knocks and scuffs, but the cabin ambience needs a makeover if the XV is to turn heads. If the XV were a budget-priced crossover, you might accept it, but not in a vehicle of this price.

And there lies the rub. The challenge for Subaru and its UK importer, IM Group, will be ensuring that prospective purchasers put the XV on their shortlist in the first place when there are so many competitive rivals in this class, and a major sticking point is the $39,445 price. An uncompetitive exchange rate between the Japanese yen and sterling conspires to push up the cost of Subaru’s imported vehicles, although the manufacturer hopes that this situation could start to ease later this year.

I enjoyed our blue Subaru’s no-nonsense attitude, and it could appeal to motorists who desire a high-riding family car with an emphasis on rugged simplicity rather than luxurious fripperies. That is, provided it doesn't slip under their radar or out of their price range in such a competitive market sector.

Our XV had the ability to go with its ride height.

Dual-zone air conditioning was standard.

XV’s rugged simplicity has its appeal, but it doesn’t look or feel like a car worth $39,000.

Second opinion

To my mind, the Subaru XV was greater than the sum of its parts, most of which ranged from being nothing more than decent to mediocre. On a long journey to the in-laws’ farm, family squeezed in, it was reasonably comfortable, very frugal and unbowed by the sight of slippery, mud-covered track. It’s too expensive by far, but for a niche of people it will get the job done.

Beefy engine

The 2.0-litre diesel packs a decent punch and economy isn’t bad, either. It’s noisy, though.

Taut handling

It retains some traits of the Impreza on which it is based and feels sporty and responsive on twisty roads.

Versatility

With permanent 4WD and ground clearance of 220mm, it’s more at home off road than many rivals.

Cheap cabin

Plastics look dated and feel cheap. Possibly acceptable in a budget crossover, but not at this price.

Firm ride

Bumps and ridges resonate through the cabin, a trait that becomes tedious on long journeys.

Subaru XV 2.0D SE test data

Dealers

We collected our car from the friendly and enthusiastic team at Ian Allan Motors in Virginia Water, close to the M25 in Surrey. Our car then portrayed bombproof reliability (which we’d expect from a Subaru) so we didn’t need to darken the door of our local dealer again until the first service at 12,000 miles. For that, they were willing to accommodate us at short notice and the routine service set us back $350.

Residuals

The new model was introduced to Subaru’s UK product range only a year ago, so it is too early to get an accurate gauge on how much value it will lose over two or three years. However, depreciation can be a thorn in the side of Subaru owners and the XV is unlikely to buck that trend. The online depreciation calculator devised by our colleagues at What Car? suggests that an XV 2.0D SE will be worth $21,449 one year on from purchase, and $14,475 after three years.

The car was launched with an attractive multi-year aftercare package called Everything Taken Care Of (ETCo), which offered owners a range of benefits such as repair of scuffed alloy wheels, annual wheel alignment check, lost key replacement and even a monthly wash. It was a clever attempt to add extra value, but late last year, after listening to customer feedback, Subaru withdrew the scheme and instead extended the car’s warranty from three to five years or 100,000 miles.