Extra Crispy - Subaru XV

As a motoring journalist, my neighbors have become pretty used to seeing a different car parked outside my place every week. Sure, they thought I was hooked up with a shabu-making ring at first, but these days, they’ve become almost jaded by the seemingly endless stream of shiny new metal that litters my driveway. They’re a tough crowd, these neighbors of mine, which is why I always know I’ve got something pretty special sitting outside when they start ringing the doorbell. And that’s exactly what happened when I took home the recently launched XV last week. And it wasn’t just the neighbors, either. Every time I arrived back at the car, either from the mall or at work, I would either see a few people milling around it, or need to wipe the telltale smudges on the windows where they had cupped their hands over the sides of their face and breathed some envious sighs over the glass while sneaking a peek at the interior. And the effect was easily multiplied by ten once I parked on the foothills of the mountain biking trails in either Santa Rosa or Timberland or wherever adrenaline junkies tend to gather. In fact, the last time I remember getting this much attention was with the new Explorer. And we all know what happened there. Like anything, it all starts off with good design. Now Subaru has been known for many things – rallying, ruggedness, speed, durability, excitement, go-anywhere capability – but never really for design. In fact, it was a cross that most owners were just willing to carry for the tradeoff that they got in performance and the unique ownership experience of driving a premium Japanese vehicle – which explains why it was once addressed, even non-traditional Subaru buyers started lining up outside Motor Image like it was an Apple store on the eve of a product launch. Despite keeping the car on the top floor of the building, under a car cover and away from public view, MotorImagePilipinas, the official Subaru importer, received over sixty orders for the all-new XV month before its public viewing – the first forty of which, was inked even before they could give the customers the price. In case you haven’t worked it out yet, the XV plugs the gap between an Impreza and the best-selling Forester. But unlike some model of other brands that have tried doing the same thing, Subaru seems to have nailed the target dead center. It’s chunky and muscular enough to distance itself from the five doors-hatch, but not quite as tall and wide as the compact SUV. It has a touch more ground clearance than an Impreza, as well as the legendary symmetrical all-wheel drive system to get you further off the beaten path, plus its nimble enough to zip around the city streets or tight parking buildings. It’s powered by Subaru’s new generation boxer engines that produces 150 bhp at 6,200rpm, but the big news here is the all-new CVT transmission that is able to milk every precious drop of torque out of the engine and give you that sense of urgency that was lacking in the Imprezas. A tasteful pair of paddle shifters breaks up the monotony of the CVT’s shiftless hum, and allows a bit more involvement once the roads start getting interesting. I’ve never been a fan of CVTs, but this is one of the best examples out there. Besides which, I’d take it over the four speed auto that it replaces. You cannot compare it to a 2.5 turbo, but at least there’s change out of eleven seconds when you do the dash from 0-100 km/h, plus a very realistic 11 kilometer per liter city cycle when you’re not trying to set any speed cameras off. It feels every bit as premium as any Subaru before it, but there’s something special in the way it rides over tortured roads and dirt paths. It just feels glued together. Everything from the four wheel independent suspension with McPhersons up front and double wishbones in the back, to the tasteful, yet functional interior, the XV is a vehicle that makes you want to go places. If I were to have any qualms, it’s mostly the rear cargo area that is still a little too shallow, but is does at least offer 60:40 split fold seats that can swallow a mountain bike whole, provided to pull the front wheel off. Motor Image will offer two variants starting at 1.299 million, and topping out with a top of the line version that offers a sunroof, dual climate control and a large multi info display that has a very novel trip computer and reverse camera all for just 100,000 pesos more. Originally posted in C! Magazine April 2012 Edition Author: James Deakin