Subaru XV concept revealed

Subaru showed the XV Concept at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show.

The concept previewed a future design direction for Subaru, including the forthcoming, all-new XV compact crossover.

The XV Concept design study embodies the brands next-generation ‘DYNAMIC X SOLID’ design philosophy, with a solid, robust appearance and raised ground clearance that references the ‘go-anywhere’ All-Wheel Drive capability of every Subaru vehicle.

The cabin silhouette tapers as the bodywork flows towards the rear, leaving an impression of ‘energy and athleticism’ without compromising the concept's practicality, says Subaru. The body surfacing is divided by two strong character lines – one extending from the front bumper, along the doors and into the rear shoulder; another rising from the lower half of the doors towards the rear of the car.

The front features Subaru’s signature hexagonal grille and ‘hawk-eye’ headlamps. Matt black body cladding runs from the front bumper, over the wheel arches and side sills, and into the rear bumper. The rear also includes matt black-clad rear bumpers which rise to meet the car’s rear combination lamps.

Subaru has given the concept an exclusive new paint finish, ‘Glacier Khaki Silica’ – a newly-developed blue-grey tone created to evoke the appearance of glacier ice. Orange accents appear on the grille, front and rear bumpers, 19-inch aluminium wheels and roof rails.

Subaru XV crossover gets a facelift

Subaru has facelifted the XV compact crossover, tweaking its exterior styling whilst also boosting cabin quality and refinement.

Updates to the 2016 model follow changes made last year to the suspension and steering, designed to deliver improvements to the ride and handling. 

The upgraded XV interior features higher quality materials and Subaru's new factory-fit 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment and navigation system. There's new metallic and piano black trim as well as contrast stitching throughout the cabin and the driver's TFT LCD instrument binnacle now emits a soft, blue glow. 

The touchscreen display allows smartphone-style control of the navigation and infotainment features, with a swipe and pinch control function for map displays. It works in conjunction with the standard-fit rear view camera, offering a super-wide 160-degree field of view behind the car when reversing. 

Many functions can now be voice activated, while Apple iPhone users can use Siri Eyes-Free functionality, to enable complete voice control of their mobile when linked with the new infotainment system.

An extra USB port in the front of the cabin allows passengers to listen to music from one device while charging another at the same time.

The upgraded XV continues to offer a choice of two horizontally-opposed, four-cylinder Boxer engines - a 2.0-litre petrol and 2.0-litre diesel - and two transmissions (six-speed manual and six-speed CVT automatic). For 2016, both engines have been tweaked to deliver improved fuel economy.

The 2.0-litre turbodiesel, with a six-speed manual transmission, achieves 52.3 mpg on the combined cycle (a four percent improvement), while CO2 emissions fall from 146 to 141 g/km, placing the car in a lower BIK tax band. 

The 150 PS 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine's fuel efficiency has increased by 2% to a combined average of 43.5 mpg when fitted with the Lineartronic CVT automatic transmission, and emissions fall to 151 g/km. 

Exterior styling changes include an upgraded front end, which now features updated 'hawk-eye' headlights and a redesigned front grille and bumper. At the rear, there's a new boot spoiler and LED combination lamps and the look is completed by new black and silver diamond cut alloy wheel design.

There are also two new colour options available to UK buyers - Hyper Blue and Dark Blue Metallic - and like every Subaru, the XV is offered with a comprehensive five-year, 100,000-mile warranty.

Despite the range of upgrades across the full model line-up, pricing for the Subaru XV remains unchanged for the 2016 model, which goes on sale across the UK next month from £21,995 on the road.