DRIVING: The Subaru XV
The Subaru XV introduced itself to the South African market as the second car built on Subaru’s new global platform, with the latest Subaru Impreza being the first. With a strong emphasis on adventure, the new Subaru XV incorporates a number of new features geared towards enhancing its appeal towards those in need of a capable, safe and refined SUV.
Its popular point of appeal is Subaru’s award-winning EyeSight® Driver Assistance System, to highlight Subaru’s new pillar of Safety. We’ll discuss this more later on…
We spent a week getting to know the new Subaru XV and after venturing out into various environments, we soon fell head over heels for this vehicle.
We love…
The Subaru XV’s good-looking exterior is a big step up from its predecessor and even though it stands out as a refined and sophisticated looking SUV, it still manages to pull off a strong sense of capability and determination for adventure. Some SUV’s, as capable as they may be, can appear to be a bit too sophisticated for their own good, which immediately makes me apprehensive to want to take them off the beaten track, for fear of chipping or scratching delicate exteriors. But the Subaru somehow gives you a strong sense of confidence to be able to go where others might prefer not to. It sort of eggs you on and entices you to explore more of what South Africa’s diverse terrains have to offer. We love the ‘Cool Grey Khaki’ colour option of our XV test car, but it is available with a choice of eight other exterior colours too!
Inside the new XV, the appeal continues with a rather premium and refined interior, and during our week driving it, it seemed that no matter where we were, or what road surface we were venturing out on, it provided an exceptionally comfortable and supportive in-cabin environment. This is important because when you’re braving unknown territory, particularly gravel roads that you may not have travelled on before, you want to feel safe, supported and no less comfortable than would are in regular environments.
Safety is a big priority for us and the Subaru XV is the first model in South Africa on which the EyeSight® Driver Assistance System is offered. The system offers four different types of driver assistance functions that are designed to reduce or circumvent crashes caused by driver error and to reduce or circumvent collisions caused by driver fatigue. After experiencing the EyeSight® Driver Assistance System myself, I found it to be one of the better safety systems out there. It really keeps you alert, without scaring the living daylights out of you if so much as an ant crosses your path. A friendly indication of what is ahead and around you is monitored by the mounted cameras around the vehicle, while traffic alerts appear on the screen ahead of the driver to help avoid accidents from happening. From cyclists, pedestrians and other potential hazards, the XV’s EyeSight system picks it all up to help you and other road users stay safe.
Also read: Subaru XV and Impreza models achieve Five-Star rating in 2017 Euro NCAP Safety Test
The Subaru XV’s 2.0-litre, reengineered flat-four, naturally aspirated engine offers 115 kW of power and 196 N.m of torque and is mated to a seven-speed, full auto-step shift control Lineartronic CVT gearbox. It offers a seven-speed manual mode when using the mounted paddle-shifters behind the steering wheel. I’m not usually a fan of CVTs as I find they can often be rather ‘slushy’ but this didn’t seem to be the case with the XV and the ride quality certainly makes up for it, as well the vehicle’s other benefits.
In addition to having Subaru’s unique Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system, the new XV is also equipped with X-MODE technology for the first time. X-MODE is designed to help you enjoy a wider variety of driving terrains by optomising integrated control of the engine, all-wheel drive and braking systems to enhance control when tyres slip and lose traction on slippery surfaces. If this isn’t enough to encourage SUV drivers to be bold and get out on an off-roading adventure, the X-MODE is equipped with a Hill Descent Control feature specifically for use when descending steep and slippery hills. Now you have every reason to believe the XV’s off-road credentials.
We tested the Subaru XV in the city, on the open road and on gravel and found that it did a great job at adapting to different environments and road surfaces. Steering was light and responsive and the few times that I had passengers at the back, complements about generous leg and headroom were made, which is always a great bonus for those looking for a family car to go on adventures with. For me, the only drawcard of the XV is that of its boot. The XV’s high ground clearance makes for a rather raised boot floor and you really have to heave your bags up when packing the boot. Thankfully, its still wide and you can fit quite a lot into its 310 litres of bootspace, 1 220 litres with the rear seats folded flat.
The new XV is now available in South in two derivatives:
- Standard Spec Subaru XV 2.0i CVT for R385 000.
- Premium Spec Subaru XV 2.0i-S ES CVT for R439 000.
The car is offered through the Subaru dealer network in Southern Africa with a 5-yr/150 000km Warranty (upgraded from the previous 3-yr/100 000km) as well as a 3-yr/75 000km Full Maintenance Plan which can be further extended to a 5-yr/150 000km Maintenance at an additional cost.