The Tangerine Orange colour –as it is called – is synonymous with hard core boys whose ideology shows the aggression and ‘I’ve arrived attitude’ on the road.
On getting into the driver’s seat, the orange stitching on black leather seats carries the funky look from the outside in and once inside the cabin, the beast is left behind, and the driver becomes the centre of attention.
All around you there are creature comforts like a touch screen radio/DVD player that has USB and iPod connectivity, a great sound system and even a reverse camera. The multifunction steering wheel means that all you need is at your fingertips and the Bluetooth connectivity allows you to stay in touch with the world without losing your focus on the road.
Overall the XV is distinctly different, and maybe just what Subaru needs. It’s fun and easy to drive, it’s safe and has all the elements needed to make it a success, it’s well worth a test drive.
The ride is comfortable, even off the beaten track, and the vehicle feels stable even at high speeds. The steering is fairly light, and although at nearly 4.5 metres long the XV is not exactly small, it is still quite easy to park, though it almost crashed down my granny’s home gate in North-West. (How pink her face would turn out, I could just imagine).
Since the XV is probably pitched at the driver with a family, safety is a priority. ABS with EBD and BAS, VDC (that’d be Subaru’s Vehicle Dynamics Control), Isofix anchors, seven airbags, and a few reinforcement beams are all standard fare.
Taking the hatchback XV on the off road as suggested by Didier (Subaru SA assistant marketing assistant), it felt none of it, as the gravel road seemed happy to welcome this beast en-route to my village!
I pondered, was it the colour, design or its features which had the locals eating from the palm of their hands, your guess is as good as mine, stru!
Indeed, the XV managed to earn a maximum five-star rating for both ANCAP and Euro NCAP. And a full maintenance plan of three years or 75 000km, and a warranty of three years or 100 000km, means it should be kept in tip-top shape.
The foglights are deep-seated in the bumper, resulting in more bold lines, and the two-tone 17-inch alloys are to die for. Yes, this makes the Subaru XV incomparable to its rivals and petrol attendants were literally drooling at those mags!
The two-litre engine is fuel efficient, thus gives the perfect amount of power when needed.
Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive which permanently uses all four wheels to propel the car forward, meaning regardless of the conditions under tyre, you are always in control of the XV on or off-road. The six-speed manual gearbox delivers 110 kW of power and has a top speed of 187 km/h.
It retails for R329 000.
Verdict:
1-10 performance (7)
1-10 petrol (5)
