FIRST DRIVE: 2018 Subaru XV Malaysian review – RM119k-RM126k

The first-generation Subaru XV was considerably successful in the regionand it was undoubtedly the most popular model for Subaru Malaysia. In continuingthe same success story we have before you the second-generation Subaru XVIt’s currently available in two variants starting with the base 2. 0i that’spriced at RM119,000, and the range-topper 2. 0i-P, this one in bright sunshine orangeIt’s priced at RM126,000, making it a full RM9kmore expensive than the top spec HR-V. But wait a minute, is the XVa direct competitor to the HR-V? Well more so in terms of pricing then segmentbecause this car actually rides on top of a C-segment platform, which it shareswith the Impreza. Well I’ll explain the benefits of this in a minute but first Iwant to talk about how it looks. The XV is basically a jacked up version of theImpreza hatchback, sharing the same overall shape, even down to the roofrails and shark fin antenna. Now although it doesn’t look all that differentcompared to its predecessor I actually find new look to be very well executedand the proportions are just spot-on. And between the two new XVs, this is theone you should be really looking at. It gets automatic LED headlights withcornering function, stylish C-shaped LED daytime running lights, headlight washersa bolder hexagonal grille and LED combination tail lamps. This 17-inch dualtone alloy wheels is standard on both variants, but here the tyres are actuallythicker than the ones fitted to the older model. In any case it gets thisrugged plastic cladding that goes around the car and to be honest I kind of fancy thisThere’s an even higher spec variant with Subarus EyeSight safety system, butthat’s only going to come next year. One of the many things I’ve grown fond ofthe XV is just how convenient and easy it is to get in and out of the carRide height is just niceand upon getting in, things just get a whole lot better. I honestly think it’sone of the best-looking and most well-built cabin in its class. The buildquality in this thing is leaps and bounds better than the older model and isconsiderably nicer than the HR-V as well the top portion of the cabin getssmothered in high-quality soft touch plastic and it’s used all the way downto the center tunnel, even to the rear doors. However I can’t help but thinkhaven’t I seen this dashboard before? Anyway I reckon the build quality of theXV is slightly better than the Mazda CX-3 and that really caught me bysurprise. I like the look of this 3 spoke steering wheel – it’s nicely contouredit’s leather wrapped, it has all the controls within reach and it also haspaddle shifters. There’s even contrast stitching to match the theme of theentire cabin. Speaking of theme, the seats which are wrapped in part leather andpart fabric get bright orange stitching as standard. The driver seat is the onlyone that’s electrically adjustable and this is the same for the cheaper variantas well. Unique to this variant though is the carbon-fibre trim that surrounds allfour of the door handles. Check out this super cool secondary multi-info displayInstead of cramming all the driving data into this small space right here, whatSubaru did was move everything, well almost everything, into this 6. 3 inchmultifunction display. Here it gives a multitude of information such as fuelconsumption, all-wheel drive status, pitch angle and even a more detailed trip meterreading, all of which are in real time. The head unit on the other hand leaves alot to be desired I think car manufacturers have to spenda little bit more time and effort to make the infotainment display systemfeel more cohesive, like it belongs with the car. Mazda is a perfect example of thisHere it just feels like they bought somethird-party open-source program and built their own user interface on top of itThe brightness it’s, it’s quite bad. Well it works and serves its purpose butthe compromise is that the whole thing looks very basic and underwhelmingI mean if the whole cabin is so impeccably made then something like this isdefinitely gonna stick out. Just sayingDown here you get the traditional button and dial controls for the air-conSome space to keep your mobile devices while it’s charging, cupholders and a nicecentre armrest with two USB charging ports built in. The old manual handbrakelever is now gone, replaced by this nifty electronic switch. What’s neat is thatyou can charge two devices at the same time and keep most of the cables hiddenwithin the armrest. There are two thoughtfully position openings at eachcorner that let the cables out without causing a mess. Now let’s check out the back seatsAs you can see it’s quite spacious back here and there’s even morelegroom compared to the first generation XV because the wheel base here is longerby 30 millimetres. Notice this hump over here, it’s pretty much the same size asbefore but I don’t mind it. The headroom as well, same as beforeOverall space back here is slightly smaller than the HR-V, butdefinitely way bigger than the CX-3. One downside back here is the lack ofair vents but this is a common problem shared by all the XV’s rivals. In termsof boot accessibility, the opening has been widened by 100 millimetres to makeloading and unloading easier and unfortunately boot space is only up by 5litres to 345 litres, which is not great for a car like this. Just look at howshallow it is with the tonneau cover on. The flipside is you get a spare tyre sothat’s a fair compromise if you ask me. Now let me show you the unique thingabout this handsome crossover. Unlike every other model in its class the XVgets a 2. 0 litre flat-four Boxer engine. The benefit of this is that it sits lowin the car compared to traditional inline-four or V6 engines, so the centre ofgravity is effectively lower. Just look at how low this thing sits. Subaru says thisdirect injection engine is almost entirely new and produces 156 PS and 196 Nmof torque. It’s paired to Subaru’s continuously variabletransmission, otherwise known as Lineartronic and features 7 virtual ratiosThis CVT is also nearly 8 kg lighter than the old unit withrevised gearing to improve fuel efficiency. Now with all that out of theway let’s find out how it drivesThe original Subaru XV was popular for manyreasons particularly because it gave people that rugged SUV look with acommanding driving position and it didn’t look too boring or dowdy as otherrun-of-the-mill SUVs that you could get. It also drove pretty well and had decentlevels of comfort. Well, this new one improves on all that thanks to a newSubaru Global Platform. Apparently body and chassis rigidity isup by 70% and you can really feel this in the corners. There’s less flexion in thechassis when you take corners at higher speeds and it’s inherentlya more stable car to drive. This car is also very beautifully sprung, possiblyexhibiting the best ride quality in its class, by far. Remember what I saidearlier about this being on top of a C-segment platform? One of the keybenefits is that you get a more sophisticated suspension especially inthe rear way it gets a double wishbone suspension instead of a cheaper torsionbeam set up found in the HR-V. This makes it a far better car to driveespecially for rear passengers. With the new engine and transmission Ifind the throttle response to be quicker and the engine is more eager to rev thanthe old one And if you must know this car sprintsfrom zero to 100 in 10. 4 seconds which on its own is 0. 3 secondsquicker than the old one but still slower than HR-Vs 10. 1 second markThe CVT has a step function to mimic a normal automatic gearbox andit’s still one of the better made CVTs out there. However as with allCVTs it lacks the pull factor at full throttleespecially at highway cruising speeds. Generally though performance iscomparable to the HR-V despite weighing over 300 kg more but this islargely due to the size and construction of the car. For city driving afront-wheel drive car is definitely going to make more sense and you savemore fuel in the process. But the XV is permanently driven on all four wheelsand it now features an X-Mode through a button right here for better off roadtraction. If you’re the adventurous type, consider this a bonus. On the subject offuel efficiency expect this car to perform slightly better than the old onealthough not by much. With a full tank of 63 liters I managed to squeeze about 600 kmof range in mixed driving conditions but this car is not properlyrun in, so it’s not a very good barometer. I’m pretty sure I can do moreif I only I have a little bit more determinationI’ve said it once, but I’ll say it again. I really honestly like this XV but like all cars it has to have someflaws – this gaudy head unit is one of them, it’s one of the biggest, and theother is noise. One part from that CVT which is a very common problem and thesecond is tyre roar. CVT noise is part and parcel and mostcars in this price bracket suffer from the same fate but the factory fittedContinental MC5 tires are just unacceptably noisy. And if you check theunderside of the wheel well there’s only a bit of sound deadening materials usedHonda knows this and has fixed the problemso Subaru if you’re watching this, please do something about itAll-in-all the XV has once again proven to be a worthy contender in the growing subcompactcrossover segment. It’s improved in just about every aspect and despite all thatit’s still competitively priced against its closest rivals. The icing on the cakeis the seven airbags that are standard across the range and there’s also ISOFIXchild anchors in the rear seat to go with the usual set of safety systemsFor those of you who are waiting for the full range of Subaru’s EyeSight safetysystem, well that’s only gonna come sometime next year. For now I’ll be happywith this, just maybe not in this colour, because I’m not flashy like thatThank you for watching. This is Matt, rain or shine, I will see you in the next one

source https://cardetailingphoenix.com/index.php/2018/09/26/first-drive-2018-subaru-xv-malaysian-review-rm119k-rm126k-3/