Subaru’s cheapest new vehicle – the Crosstrek – is officially on sale in South Africa at a starting price of R579,000.
The Crosstrek is the replacement for the long-running XV, which retailed from R464,000 prior to its discontinuation, meaning the automaker’s barrier-to-entry has gone up by a substantial R115,000.
“Yes, we agree that there has been a great jump in price and the reason for that is all the improvements in quality, refinement, and safety that the Crosstrek has over the outgoing model,” said the company.
“If you consider the changes and the improved safety that the Crosstrek provides, it is not outpriced compared to competitors.”
Performance
The Crosstrek retains the same powertrain as its predecessor, which in this case consists of a 2.0-litre, naturally-aspirated, four-cylinder Boxer petrol engine.
This gives the crossover 115kW and 196Nm to work with, which is then transmitted via a CVT transmission to the symmetrical all-wheel-drive system.
Its fuel consumption remains virtually unchanged at 7.2l/100km for an average cycle, and it has the same ground clearance as the XV of 220mm.
Features
It’s in the features department that the two crossovers start to differentiate themselves, given that their performance attributes are nearly identical.
The old XV came standard with halogen headlights, 17-inch alloys, a 6.3-inch driver display, automatic climate control, a multifunction steering wheel with paddle shifters, cruise control, alloy pedals, an electronic hand brake, six speakers, and a 6.2-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and voice commands.
The higher-spec ES model would then add automatic LED headlights, 18-inch alloy rims, rain-sensing wipers, electronically adjustable front seats with memory function, leather upholstery, front and rear cameras, blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert with automatic emergency braking, lane-change assist, adaptive cruise control, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, and a larger 8-inch touchscreen.
Shifting focus to the Crosstrek, the list of standard equipment has been expanded to include adaptive LED headlights, dual-zone climate control, a leather steering wheel, and a significantly bigger 11.6-inch multimedia display in a portrait format.
Furthermore, the new car features a driver-assistance package adding adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition, driver alert monitoring, a speed limiter, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking, rear parking sensors, and a reverse camera.
The range-topping iS throws in full-leather upholstery, electric front seats, a wireless phone charger, and larger 18-inch alloy rims.
But it’s not only in tech where the new Subaru has seen a few enhancements.
According to its makers, the Crosstrek’s redesigned seats are also more supportive than before, noise and vibration levels have been improved, and handling stability and rider comfort are enhanced thanks to structural improvements made to the Subaru Global Platform on which the Crosstrek is built.
Subaru Crosstrek
Subaru XV
Keyword: New Subaru Crosstrek – What makes it R115,000 better than the old XV