Subaru fills a crossover niche with the XV, a wagon for people who may think the Forester is too “out there” as an SUV. But it’s grazing in a crowded front lawn with such top rivals as the Kia Sportage and Mazda CX-5. Fortunately, the all-wheel-drive XV acquits itself well, feeling more like a downsized 4WD than an upsized wagon. Some crossovers in the XV’s general class are probably going to look rather silly in a few years, as styling tends move on, with their “torn from the pages of a sketchbook” styling. Based on a stretched version of the new Impreza platform, the XV plays it fairly safe, but is far from being dreary. It might easily be mistaken for a European design. The interior is nicely styled, too, especially for an entry model to the range, and there’s decent room for rear-seaters and for luggage and cargo. In the quest for fuel economy, the boxer engine stops and starts at the lights or whenever else progress pauses for a short time. One of several useful eco-oriented readouts in a prominent dash mounted display communicates fuel consumption in litres per 100km and a busy little bar graph beneath it tells how much the engine’s burning at any given moment. On offer are a manual gearbox or a Lineartronic CVT transmission – the version tried by Automotive News – that helps provide slightly better economy than the manual. The six-stage CVT can be worked via steering wheel shift paddles. Performance is reasonably brisk and ride and handling are generally pleasing; it’s a wagon that might even suit an enthusiast driver.

Not so good
Some disappointing cabin trim

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