RIDE
Subaru
XV 2.0i
Lineartronic CVT
A crossover game changer
Unlike most crossover cars at this pricepoint such as
Ford’s EcoSport, Subaru did not opt for front-wheeldrive but rather equipped the XV with its tried-and-tested
symmetrical all-wheel drive system. This system, together
with the car’s 220 mm of class leading ground clearance,
helps make the XV more competent when taken off the
beaten path compared to your run-of-the-mill SUV or
crossover.
Under the bonnet of the XV resides a 2.0-litre four-cylinder
normally-aspirated Subaru Boxer petrol engine that churns
out 110 kW and 196 Nm of torque. Our test car was fitted
with Lineartronic continuously variable transmission (CVT),
which also allow drivers to change gears manually via the
paddle shifters behind the steering wheel.
At comfortable cruising speed within the city limits, the
CVT box performed admirably, however, whenever we
ventured onto the highway the CVT and boxer engine
showed their performance achilles heel. If you want to
overtake a car or drive faster, you floor the accelerator
pedal, the CVT drops a gear and the rev counter climbs to
above 4500 RPM. Unfortunately the performance bite of
the engine does not match the noisy bark it delivers, since
the speedometer barely moves at all.
The only way we circumvented this lack of performance
was to slot the gear lever to the right, putting the car in
manual mode and dropping two gears down via the
paddle shifters and then slotting it back left to put the car
back in automatic mode, once we successfully overtook a
car or made it over the steep incline.
making it perfectly suited for people living in areas without paved roads
and those drivers that like to vacation in the country. The car further offers
a practical, feature rich interior, and a large boot. Where it falls short is
with its bland interior and constrained exterior styling, with our test unit
only pulling in the looks due to its audacious colour scheme. However,
it is the lethargic response of the CVT and powerplant to our accelerator
input that prevents the XV from climbing to the top of our most wanted
crossover hill.
The XV goes for a recommended retail price of R309 000, which nets
buyers a maintenance plan of 3 years or 75 000 kms. This makes the XV
noticeably cheaper (R322 500) compared to the Nissan Juke 1.6 DIG-T
Tekna AWD CVT, but we have to say that the Juke offers the superior CVT
experience out of the two. [HD]
*A CROSS WHAT?
A crossover vehicle is a car that boasts the
design elements of a sport utility vehicle
(SUV) such as the higher ride height and
improved all round visibility. It blends
these with the features from an estate car
(station wagon) or hatchback, resulting in a
vehicle that can appeal to a much broader
range of car buyers.
Some of the most popular crossover cars
includes BMW’s X1, Volvo’s XC60, the Kia
Sportage, as well as Nissan’s Juke.
To the point
Subaru’s XV is capable of light offroading thanks to its
high ground clearance and its all-wheel-drive system,
October 2013 | TechSmart
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