The Subaru Crosstrek puts engineering, quality and all-weather ability ahead of outright performance and a cheap sticker price.
The Subaru Crosstrek replaces the previous generation Subaru XV as the compact SUV within the Subaru SUV range. Picture: Mark Jones
We live in a bling world, well certainly in South Africa. Our status is determined by the shiny new metal we park in our driveway.
We might be in debt. We might not have money for food. The house we live in is rented. But there is nothing on earth that beats that new car feeling.
Chinese value for money
The Chinese have cottoned on to this fast. Every week a new model or brand arrives in the country offering better than ever prices and more car per rand.
The Subaru Crosstrek you see here offers you everything you would want from a compact SUV and then some more.
Japanese quality
Because it is Japanese it is also unrivalled in terms of fit, finish, quality and refinement. But all these good reasons to buy the vehicle comes at a price.
With a sticker that reads R669 000, the Subaru Crosstrek is anything but cheap. So I asked ChatGPT to list only Chinese SUVs under R669 000.
It gave me a list of 40 SUV makes and models and then offered up a disclaimer that said this wasn’t “a guaranteed exhaustive list of every derivative on sale”.
It’s easy to see why the Chinese are crushing the market right now. As said earlier, they offer more choice at a better price point.
But what they also bring to the party is unrefined drive quality, variable throttle response and jerky gearshifts, while also not being too concerned about sporty type handling.
Drive refinement
This is where you see your money goes on a vehicle like the Subaru Crosstrek. The drive is smooth and comfortable.
The handling is on the sharp side and the throttle response and gearbox combination is spot on too.
Boxer power
In a segment that is ruled by more powerful turbocharged offerings, the Subaru Crosstrek offers up a 2.0 litre, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated Boxer petrol engine.
The engines produces a moderate 115kW of power and only 196Nm of torque. In turn this urge is delivered to all four wheels through a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
Performance can be described as respectable. With the Subaru Crosstrek being happiest around the suburbs.
Trying to be a highspeed highway assassin, just meant the CVT would whine and object and make you remember why you hate CVTs so much.
Fuel economy
Where the Subaru Crosstrek starts to claw back at the more powerful Chinese offerings is with fuel consumption.
Subaru claims a combined figure of 7.2 litres per 100km and we returned a real-world number of 8.4 litres per 100km.
This is better than what most Chinese vehicles can achieve. But I must add that the Chinese are moving fast towards new energy and hybrid vehicles.
These new offerings are more powerful and lighter on fuel than almost everything on a legacy brand showroom floor.
Top quality interior
Inside, the Subaru Crosstrek offers you combination of practicality, comfort and modern technology.
A portrait-orientated 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen dominates the dashboard, providing access to smartphone connectivity and various vehicle functions.
Build quality feels substantial, with sensible controls and durable materials reinforcing Subaru’s reputation for engineering vehicles intended to withstand everyday punishment.
Class leading safety
Safety remains another significant strength with the Subaru brand. Its vision for safety is to reduce the number of fatal accidents involving its vehicles to zero.
The Subaru Crosstrek is fitted with the latest and fastest version of the award-winning EyeSight Driver Assist Technology.
The system features:
- Pre-Collision Braking for emergencies;
- Lane Departure Prevention;
- Lane Centering;
- Emergency Lane Keep Assist;
- Adaptive Cruise Control;
- Traffic sign recognition; and
- Intelligent speed limiter.
Verdict
We last drove a Subaru Crosstrek seven months ago. We came away thinking this is a great compact SUV but it’s priced a bit too high.
But here we are driving a Subaru Crosstrek again. It is a reminder of how good this car is, but pricing is, and always will be, its biggest enemy in the face of the Chinese onslaught.
