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Few automobile manufacturers are as committed to four-wheel drive as the small Japanese brand Subaru. As part of the Fuji Heavy Industries Group, the focus of the brand with the stars in the logo is on more practical and useful vehicles. Far from glamor and pretend worlds.
If you ignore the youngest offspring from the cooperation with Toyota, the BRZ, Subaru vehicles have always had the traction advantage of four driven wheels. All the more strange that it took a little longer, especially with Subaru, to follow the trend towards the compact SUV. Hunters, foresters and rally drivers have always had a lot of fun with their all-wheel drive vehicles from Subaru. And especially in the world of motorsport, SUBARU models have long been a guarantee of victory. But now there is the first Subaru who also likes the hip big-city woman and with me he had to prove himself in the test:
The dirt road hopper
SUBARU XV 2.0 DIESEL And once again it is the typical landscape made of too many plastics, too little fine-tuning and haptic elegance that you are first confronted with in the cockpit. Other Japanese could do that better. The three round controls for the air conditioning provide a ray of light in the desolate hard plastic desert made of black plastics. Click-clack at the level of a premium brand. Unfortunately, it is only these 3 controls that make it particularly fun to use. The window regulator switches that are used much more often were probably taken from the parts shelf of the XNUMXs. Hopefully this parts shelf will soon be empty.
Diesel turbine in the forest master car
The special charm of 4,45m compact SUV lies in the combination of a unique diesel engine and all-wheel drive that is always active. Thanks to the boxer engine, the XV's center of gravity should be significantly lower than that of other compact SUVs. The resulting advantages in terms of driving dynamics, at least on the asphalt strip, nullify the Yokohama Geolandar G95, which is more optimized for gravel roads. It has never been easy to find a balancing act between the contradictions of “Waldwege-Meister” and “Asphaltband-Held”.
Others can argue about the design. The XV didn't suit my taste - I liked its boxer diesel engine from the very first turn. So creamy and vibration-free - other manufacturers are welcome to copy that too!
[One_half]- Model Name: Subaru XV 2.0D
- Equipment: Exclusive
- Test car Price: 33.100€
- Basic price series: 22.100€ (114PS gasoline engine)
- displacement: 1.998 ccm³
- Power: 147PS (Combined)
- maximum speed: 198 km/h
- Acceleration: 0-100: 9,3 seconds
To the large Subaru XV 2.0D gallery
[One_third]That's what he wants to be:
The driving dynamicsist among the compact SUVs.
[/ One_third] [one_third]He can do that:
To convey fun with extraordinary technology concepts.
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That's the problem:
Seriously economical to go on the long journey!
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Design exterior:
"who am I"
A compact SUV that looks less like an SUV, but much more like a Golf class representative on stilts. There is a lack of harmony in the design. Too many edges and a wild mix of SUV design and elements of sporty compact cars. There is no conviction of wanting to represent either of the two.
The first compact SUV with a boxer diesel engine, in design, still moves down between the worlds.
Design & feel inside:
"Asia-Chic"
It would be a great pleasure for me if I didn't have to get into the stereotypical repetition of the haptic criticism with so many Japanese vehicles. With the small multifunctional display in the middle of the dashboard, the attempt was made to present various information in a nicely graphical form. In the end, however, as in many other areas, the loving fine-tuning is missing here too.
On the credit side is clearly the airy sense of space in XV. It looks big inside, although the trunk with less than 400 liter can not really be called a cargo space.
Driving performance & driving experience: "Boxing your way through"
You quickly realize that the XV wants to report to its driver about the brand's sporting successes in rallying. The chassis is tightly tuned for a compact SUV and the feeling on the steering wheel is decidedly sporty thanks to the servo support not being too soft.
Thanks to the permanent all-wheel drive, you can even get the 350Nm of the boxer diesel onto the road without any problems in the short first gear. In contrast to many other representatives in its class, the Subaru is serious about four-wheel drive. The power of the motor is first sent equally to both axles via a center differential. On slippery dirt roads or meadows, the control unit of the all-wheel drive ensures variable torque distribution, and the engine control unit and brake intervention ensure an optimized distribution of the power.
On the road, the tires with the “dirt road-optimized” Yokohama Geolandar provide a rustling acoustic background and an early loss of grip on slightly damp slopes. Basically the XV understeers harmlessly and can only be persuaded into a harmless "turn into the curve" with slight load changes.
On long stretches of the motorway, the XV diesel with its 147 hp can convince with its easy revving and harmonious torque development. But unfortunately also impress with great thirst.
everyday factor: "Every way, every day"
Quickly feed the horses in the morning in the morning? In the afternoon to the relatives in the mountains and on the weekend then the offspring at the extract help? The XV can convince with very different talents.
If you do not plan to cross the Gobi Desert, you will not find a situation where the four-wheel drive of the XV does not help you. The interior is airy enough and thanks to split folding rear seat back, the XV offers the usual variability from the compact car class.
Subaru currently offers the XV in 3 engine versions. The 1.6i with a meager 114PS takes over the part of the entry-level engine. Too little steam for a 1.500kg SUV. Like the small petrol engine, the 150PS 2.0i can be ordered with a manual gearbox as well as with a continuously variable gearbox. However, only the 6D boxer diesel, which is available with a manual 2.0-speed gearbox, seems to me to be really useful for everyday use.
Once the question of motorisation has been clarified, one must opt for a trim line. Subaru is the Active, Comfort or Exclusive variants. More on this in the next section.
Standard equipment:
While the small 1.6 liter petrol engine is only available as an Active or Comfort, you can also choose an “Exclusive variant” for the two 2 liter engines.
If you want a cruise control on board and instead of 4 loudspeakers insists on a premium audio system with voice control, 6 loudspeakers and a USB connection, only the Comfort and Exclusive versions are suitable.
An electric driver's seat, on the other hand, can only be delivered in the Exclusive version, as well as the navigation system and the start / stop button belonging to the key-free start system.
These are all options that can be discussed - but that the Xenon light in the Active and Comfort versions cannot even be ordered for money and good words makes the surcharge of € 2.900 between Comfort and Exclusive a little annoying.
Engine + Transmission:
"Boxer"
With the two-liter four-cylinder boxer diesel engine, Subaru does everything differently than all of its competitors in the field of compact SUVs. The biggest advantage of the first boxer diesel engine from Subaru is its extremely smooth running and the spontaneous response behavior combined with a noticeable revving. Torque and power output match, but the consumption is at least 1 liter too high in a direct comparison.
The guidance of the shift lever is not very precise and lacks the necessary precision. Shifters from 3rd to 5th gear are not uncommon. The 6th gear is designed for the Autobahn and is not translated as an economy gear that is much too long. The clutch pedal sometimes annoyed with a metallic “clone” when depressing.
The revving diesel engine and the wonderful smoothness of the Boxer diesel ensure in the end for 5 points.
Safety: "Safety first"
The Subaru XV scored five stars in the EuroNCAP crash test and thus the highest score. As expected you get the Subaru own anti-skid program VDC system delivered in series and of course also checks the XV if really all passengers are strapped.
Driver's airbag, passenger airbag, side airbags in front and head airbags for both rows of seats and a knee airbag for the driver. The Subaru thus brings with it an armada of 7 airbags.
Entertainment system: "Infusion"
On paper you get a premium audio system with Bluetooth connection and iPod control. In addition an aux input and a USB connection. The navigation system gets the map data from an SD card and has the ability to process TMC information.
And in practice the great annoyance of adapted retrofit solutions is once again evident. Neither the screen nor the controls are really fun. In principle, the navigation is inferior to any smartphone solution and the hands-free system is not really well-engineered either. The sound of the system with 6 loudspeakers is sufficient for everyday use.
At the end of the day, this is also a point that can be booked in the category: “Lack of detail work in the interior”. It would not only be a real gain for SUBARU to find a partner who knows how to impress with real in-car entertainment solutions instead of lukewarm entertainment infusions.
All wheel drive: "correct"
In most cases, compact SUVs are only delivered with an all-wheel drive in an alibi version. At Subaru - the market leader for all-wheel drives - they want to offer their customers a “decent all-wheel drive variant” and therefore install an all-wheel drive that is part of the entire vehicle concept from the very beginning.
Subaru calls the system “Symatrical AWD” because the entire structure of the system, starting with the engine position, over the transmission to the rear differential, lie on the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. And because the all-wheel drive at Subaru is generally mounted on a boxer engine, there is a lower center of gravity in the entire vehicle and, thanks to a manual transmission located well behind the front axle, also a less top-heavy weight distribution.
Perfect basis for a pronounced dynamic handling and off-road significantly more effective than any other compact SUV competitor!
The cost factor:"Only the yen is to blame"
As a gasoline engine a bargain - with the diesel engine and the highest quality equipment, it is more “emphatically self-confident” in the price. On the other hand, there is a rather good value stability. Above all, Subaru's vehicles are convincing due to their reliability and utility. The buyers of used cars also know this and should also give the XV a good resale value.
Short to:
[One_fourth]Tire:
Subaru delivers the XV with tires that have a significant advantage over the standard spar tires, especially on unpaved roads. This advantage is bought with the usual disadvantages in everyday life. Here a more conservative choice would be the greater success guarantor.
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Consumption:
The boxer diesel engine is an exotic. A wonderful piece of mechanical engineering. Smooth revving, unknown for a diesel in conjunction with an almost completely freed from vibration smoothness. Brilliant. If only thirst were not there. In principle, the XV always needs a liter too much!
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Light:
Xenon headlights in the free-form reflector. Here, too, Subaru chooses a technology that is now rarely used and disdains the DE technology. This is also only the second best solution. Although the XV has a static cornering light, other solutions would be possible with DE technology!
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Transmission:
A disappointment in the driver's hand. Too little leadership in the shift lanes. As reparation the transmission reconciles with a successful graduation, which is not in the sixth gear on the highway to the torque-objector. Unusually short translated, the first gear.
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And finally ...
All my life I've considered Subaru to be an extremely reliable, but also decidedly boring brand. In the case of the XV, after a two-week test, I can't report anything about the reliability, but I can confirm that I'm still bored with the design.
Unlike the Subaru BRZ, the drama and sportiness, or the WRX (unfortunately not available for testing!) Which delivers a sporty aura in series - the XV driven is only a kind of “mandatory program fulfillment”. A compact SUV with a brilliant piece of engine technology under the hood and serious all-wheel drive. Among the compact SUVs, the XV should therefore fill the role of the hardworking worker.
For the big show in front of the kindergartens of the nation, it will probably not be enough in this first version.
Ranking: 61 from 100 points
There is no room for discussion: The points result in an overall ranking and are comparable across all vehicle classes - as they are directly and objectively based on the model class and target group. The more points, the better the vehicle. A sports car cannot achieve 100 points because its everyday use is low. A family van may fail in the “straight performance”. The ranking is of course completely subjective - it is that my-car-blog Ranking. Bjoern Habegger
Text / photos: Bjoern Habegger | autohub.de | 2012 | by-nc-nd