Out & About Autumn 2018

MAURICE AND ANNETTE HARDY gives the Subaru XV a spin and discover that that underneath the familliar exterior are major changes to the 4x4 hatchback MOTORS

Car: Subaru XV 2.0i SE Premium Lineartronic Does it fit your ego... 0-62 mph: 10.4 secs Top speed: 120mph PS: 156 @ 6000rpm Torque: 196Nm @ 4000rpm and your wallet... Price: £28,495 Combined: 40.9mpg CO2 emissions: 155g/km

S ometimes it’s hard to tell that a car has undergone a complete revamp because it still looks very much like the version before. Such is the case with the Subaru XV, a model that appears to be on excessive steroids for its size. It has all the style of a conventional family hatchback that is incredibly pumped up to make it a brilliant cross country runner. Park it next to the previous generation and many people would see it as a very challenging spot the difference competition. Underneath, Subaru has strengthened the XV’s structure by 40 per cent, completely changing the way it channels impact energy through the body and further protecting the car’s occupants. Of course, it’s far better to avoid the impact in the first place, so Subaru has its EyeSight suite of electronic aids to anticipate and avoid potential impacts. It does this using stereo cameras mounted either side of the forward- facing surface of the rear view mirror housing. By comparing 3D images, the car can recognise vehicles, motorbikes, bicycles, pedestrians and lane markings. Distinguishing objects rather than merely noticing them is claimed to be more accurate than traditional camera and sensor technologies. Studies in Japan showed that EyeSight- equipped cars were involved in 61 per cent fewer accidents than those lacking it. As a result it’s being rolled out across every Subaru and although it’s only now arriving in the XV, the maker

the throttle action on the petrol model was too sharp, making it difficult to control the car smoothly. This persists and is, like the lack of a spare wheel, a major error in a car that goes off-road because you always need to be able to feed in the power gently to avoid generating wheelspin. There’s a special X-Mode control that combines with hill descent control to help the car in difficult conditions to back-up the permanent 4x4, which we prefer in comparison to those systems that swap from front- to all-wheel- drive as conditions change. Economy is impressive. Back in 2012 we tested both a petrol automatic and a diesel manual XV back-to-back. There is no longer a diesel choice and only a CVT auto transmission. But the petrol car performed well with its 40.8 mpg average, virtually equal to the official combined figure, better than the 2012 petrol car and only marginally thirstier than the diesel. The new car has slightly more power than the old petrol model, although torque peak is the same, just at slightly lower revs. Performance is insignificantly better. Perhaps price might be an issue for some, but the difference between 2012 and now for the 2.0i SE is only £700, not bad considering six years have intervened. The SE Premium test car at £28,495 compares favourably in view of all its extra kit and with Subaru UK sales rising in a declining market, there’s real hope again for the brand.

has already equipped more than one million vehicles with the system. That didn’t help us, though, because in an awkward turn in a road blocked by a major accident, the Subaru clouted the bank behind it instead. It popped the bumper off its mounts on one corner, but there was no panel damage, showing the car is well equipped for life in the school of hard knocks. That, of course, is where many Subarus endure daily life. The car stands so high because it’s intended for use in rough conditions by farmers and others who enjoy motoring off-piste. With that in mind, it’s a major error to equip Best bits: 4x4 that’s roomier than it looks the car with a paste and puff puncture repair kit instead of a spare wheel. These repair kits won’t stand up to the type of damage off-road use inflicts, so are a total waste of money. There’s space for a spare so put one in. In fact the boot in the XV is an accommodating space, but the height of the car combined with the shallow tailgate opening would make heaving bulky objects into the boot a major task. Passenger space is generous enough and the car’s high stance makes it easy to access. On the other hand, comfort once seated is compromised by a hard ride although, perversely, off-road the car feels far better. One of our criticisms when we drove the original XV back in 2012 was that

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