Subaru Australia will axe the two-generation-old XV nameplate, with its next-generation small SUV to be badged Crosstrek when it arrives here “soon”.
We do not have precise timing on when to expect the Subaru Crosstrek in Australian showrooms, though the company says it will share more information “in the coming months”.
The new Subaru Crosstrek, revealed on September 15, is once again pitched as a compact SUV capable of venturing a little further from the tarmac than most competitors.
“We’re excited to confirm the next-generation XV is coming to Australia soon, and it will carry the Crosstrek nameplate,” said Subaru Australia managing director Blair Read.
“The new name embodies what the Crosstrek does and is, an all-wheel drive crossover small SUV that’s capable of trekking almost anywhere you please, whether that’s urban driving or outdoor adventures, with absolute confidence and enjoyment.”
The new Crosstrek is based on the latest Subaru Global Platform, delivering claimed improvements to cabin strength, overall refinement, and ride comfort.
Powertrain options will include a signature 2.0-litre Boxer flat-four mated to a CVT with eight manual ‘ratios’, as well as an e-Boxer hybrid option. Subaru being Subaru, all Crosstreks will be all-wheel drive (AWD) – in a market segment dominated by front-wheel drive rivals.
The interior will sport a new 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a wireless phone charger.
Subaru also says it rejigged the cabin layout “in collaboration with medical schools”, studying the structure and movement of a human body to deliver “sound ergonomics and an intuitive connection between driver, vehicle and road”.
Safety features will include the latest generation EyeSight driver assist and monitoring systems, as well as nine airbags.
When it arrives, presumably during the course of 2023, the Subaru Crosstrek will compete against the newly launched Toyota Corolla Cross and soon-to-be-updated Kia Seltos, as well as the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, Mazda CX-30, and a laundry list of other competitors.
What we already knew
The e-Boxer hybrid powertrain appears to be a version of the brand’s existing 2.0-litre e-Boxer, which mates a 110kW and 196Nm petrol engine with an electric motor packing 12.3kW and 66Nm, linked to a lithium-ion battery.
Outputs in the new Crosstrek haven’t been confirmed, but Subaru says “improvements to reduce vibrations and noise in the engine and Lineartronic CVT have also been made”.
Measuring 4480mm (-5mm) long, 1800mm (unchanged) wide, and 1580mm (-35mm) tall with a 2670mm (+5mm) wheelbase, the new car is smaller on the outside than the outgoing XV – although its longer wheelbase should help free up more interior space.
The latest version of Subaru’s EyeSight safety system gains a wide-angle mono camera to back the colour stereo cameras. Subaru says its stereo camera has a broader range of vision than before, and its software has been updated to better recognise objects in its periphery.
MORE: Everything Subaru XV
