If you did not know better, you would get the new one at the Geneva Motor Show (9 until 19, March) Subaru XV left, because only at second glance reveals that here is a new edition. The comes in November with a bunch of innovations also to us.
Visually, the new XV remains true to the style of the 2012 launched predecessor. Especially in the side view, the second generation offers the same proportions, the same window graphics and the same Kunststoffbeplankung. However, the reissue has been punched a few sweeping character lines in the flanks. The crossover model also looks fresher at the front and rear. The front apron is now three-dimensional, the headlamps have integrated daytime running lights and the bold chrome trim in the radiator grille has been replaced by a more filigree variant.
The innovations in the interior are more apparent. So there is a new steering wheel, rear-mounted ventilation nozzles, a sculptural molded dashboard and a tidy center console, which dispenses thanks to an electronic parking brake on a brake lever. The infotainment system with eight-inch touchscreen is also new. It will also allow the integration of smartphones in the future. In addition, the XV will have the assistance package Eyesight, which includes distance control, collision prevention and lane departure warning.
The upcoming XV is based on Subaru's new global platform, which, according to the Japanese, guarantees better handling and greater driving comfort. For a more agile driving behavior should also provide a more direct steering and the standard four-wheel drive system with dynamic torque distribution between the axles.
As before, Subaru also relies on the new XV on a boxer engine, which has been extensively modernized and will bring more power in the future with less consumption in line. The stepless CVT transmission Lineartronic has also been redesigned. A new translation should have a positive effect on acceleration and economy.
About engine power, driving values, consumption and prices Subaru makes no information. Currently, the entry-level model costs around 20.000 Euro.
(Mario Hommen / SP-X)