Subaru XV: Beautiful inside and out

BARELY bigger than a compact sedan like the Impreza, yet drivers are provided with a commanding view of the road ahead

What happens when Subaru, known for making left-field performance cars, refocuses their engineering prowess to, instead of building another tarmac terrorist, creating the ideal city car for the zeitgeist?

They end up with the XV which, surprisingly for their first effort, is a cross-over compact SUV that never stops impressing or amazing its occupants and bystanders alike.

The XV is built atop the same platform as the all-new Impreza, debuting later this year. Most of the hardware is shared, and the interior seems to have improved in design and quality.

There’s so many things right and good about the XV. First off, the size is right. It’s barely bigger than a compact sedan like the Impreza, yet drivers are provided with a commanding view of the road ahead. The result? Confidence-inspiring driving experience for newbies and females who are flocking to the XV. Secondly, the ride height is perfectly judged: It’s neither SUV high nor sedan low. Drivers can literally sit in unlike a sedan where you sit down (and strain your knees) or like a regular SUV or pick-up where you climb and sit up (and invariably strain your knees again). The XV is like getting in and out of a comfortable lounge chair, making it the ideal vehicle for doing small errands which require you from getting in and out of your vehicle constantly. Believe you me, that is a big benefit.

Next up is the fuel efficiency. In pure city driving, with lots of bumper-to-bumper traffic and a bit of care, fuel consumption nestles between 6.5 and 7 km/liter. A lot of other cars get that sort of mileage with no traffic. As traffic density decreases, the XV’s fuel efficiency starts creeping up to the 9’s. Out on the highway, going for a short drive to San Pedro, Laguna, and back, I saw the XV’s fuel efficiency improve to 14 km/liter. Real-time fuel consumption (as opposed to the averages I listed), the XV can achieve an almost 18 km/liter out on the highway, at a steady 105-110 kph. And that’s the beauty of the XV’s uber-smart trip computer: it can display fuel consumption averages per driving period, long-term fuel consumption average, short-term based on a specific mileage that you cover, and real-time fuel consumption readings that have a bar graph that coaches you to find your sweet-spot for good cruising speeds and very fuel-efficient operation. It more than matches a lot of CRDi and VGT equipped diesel SUVs and trucks, even from those of premium car manufacturers like Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

Inside, the XV has fixed a lot of complaints about Subarus: the awkward driving position. The XV can now adjust its seats high or low enough to suit almost all drivers, and the 3-spoke steering wheel, which houses buttons for the audio and cruise control, adjusts for both reach and rake, assuring you further that finding an anatomically correct driving position is far easier, far better than before. The XV is a joy to bring on very long drives, perhaps as far up north as Pagudpud, or down south as CamSur. You’ll probably do it with far less fuel than you would expect. It’s also got paddle-shifters to tackle your favorite mountain roads with more excitement, precision and control as the CVT simulates 6 forward gears. The instrument cluster is well laid out, speedometer on the right, rev-counter to the left. Large knobs and buttons operate the climate control system, with a simple but decent sounding 2DIN CD-tuner with MP3 connectivity providing entertainment. The multi-color fuel and trip computer is atop the central a/c vents, and doubles as a rear-view camera when backing up. Again, something very handy, and highly underrated assistance to making everyday motoring life easier.

Despite wearing large 17-inch wheels with 225/55R17 Yokohama Geolandar a/t tires, the ride is also vastly improved. It has none of the sometimes awkward and squishy feel of the Forester yet retains the smoothness and compliance one would expect from a proper city car. And while the ride is serene, body control is excellent; there’s a good amount of body roll, but the suspension can manage it without swaying or bobbing. Chassis pitch and squat is also minimal, and the brakes are very strong, easily modulated with good initial feel and feedback.

On the safety front, eight airbags, consisting of dual front passenger airbags, side impact airbags mounted on the seats, front knee airbags and curtain airbags that span the length of the entire cabin surround the occupants. The engine is designed to break away together with the CVT automatic transmission away and underneath the chassis to prevent it from crushing its passengers in the event of a front-end collision. Rest assured, it garnered a 5-star EURO NCAP Crash Rating, so you are in very good hands. Subaru’s integrated VDC or Vehicle Dynamics Control is an integrated traction and stability control designed to get you around fast bends and out of tight spots through poor and slippery terrain quickly and safely. Lastly, there’s 4-wheel ABS-EBD-equipped brakes with Brake-Assist, to slam hard on the brakes when the XV’s electronics detect an impending emergency stop procedure.

The steering is an electronic assist system that is both light, and in this class, feel-some as compact SUVs go, making low-speed parking easy, and gives you confidence in dynamic driving situations. At higher speeds, the steering weighs up nicely enough to give the XV a sense of stability and security on the highway.

The engine is the familiar FB 2.0-liter boxer engine with dual overhead camshafts and 16-vales, delivering 150 ps and 195 Newton-Meters of torque. It doesn’t seem much, but when mated to the Lineartronic CVT, the latter is able to simulate the perfect gear to give the best responsiveness and acceleration from the modest engine. At night, the HID headlamps and standard foglamps create a bright path for which the XV can tread on confidently, and a standard rear foglamp ensures that you’ll be seen even under the harshest of driving conditions.

I didn’t want to return the XV. Drive fast and Subaru’s motorsport heritage shines bright. Drive serenely and you’d think you were in a luxo-barge, thanks to improved NVH refinement. I covered almost 400 kilometers in the XV because I kept using it everywhere I had to go in a single weekend, and back. That’s the best praise anyone can give any car.