Subaru has sprung a surprise by dropping the “XV” name for its all-new compact crossover. Instead, it will take on the “Crosstrek” name globally.
Touting itself as a faithful companion with versatility and reliability in mind, the 2023 Crosstrek is designed for those seeking a vehicle that is both a daily driver and weekend companion ready to take on new adventures. It is ideal for those who desire a fulfilling driving experience coupled with a level of freedom never experienced before.
The 2023 Crosstrek features a high hood position creating a sense of robustness and power. The front-end appearance, with its sharp front grille bars and LED headlights, comes across as both nimble and tough. Meanwhile, the scope of cladding has been expanded to evoke a feeling of surefire road-performance capabilities, and the dynamic body lines and form exude a sense of dependability and dynamism. The high-grade model includes 18-inch aluminum wheels.
Inside, the Crosstrek uses a multi-material, multi-layered structure that brings out the unique characteristics of each material’s texture for a simple yet highly expressive dashboard. The top of the center console is elevated and appears enveloped while exuding a sense of high quality, and ease of use has been improved. Clever storage-space design improvements make for greater user-friendliness, resulting in a car interior with a playful feel.
The interior remains just as roomy as in previous models. Thanks to the spacious interior, drivers of all sizes can find a comfortable driving position, and all passengers can enjoy a relaxing travel experience with minimal fatigue even on long journeys. This latest Crosstrek preserves the large cargo-space door opening as well as plenty of cargo-carrying space inside. Moreover, the 60:40 folding rear seats make it easy to expand the cargo space when loading bulky or long items into the vehicle.
At the center, the 11.6-inch center information display retains its large monitor size for good ease of use as well as the cutting-edge, sleek design from previous models while providing enhanced smartphone-integrated functionality. The result is an improved infotainment system that offers intuitive operations similar to a standard smartphone.
The seats themselves feature an innovative design that supports and aligns the pelvis, which prevents vehicle swaying motions from being transferred to the head. This design makes for a more comfortable ride by reducing rolling motions during steering actions as well as swaying caused by uneven road surfaces. Moreover, the seat mounting structure has been changed, from the standard type in which a bracket is used between the seat and vehicle body, to one where the seat rails are attached directly to the body. This new approach increases mounting-connection stiffness and improves vibration damping while reducing seat sway, to provide a more comfortable, high-quality ride experience.
Still underpinned by the Subaru Global Platform, it integrates new technologies such as a full-inner-frame construction as seen in the all-new WRX —as well as expanded applications of structural adhesives, greater rigidity in suspension connections, and other refinements.
The Crosstrek uses dual-pinion electric power steering, which has almost no response lag during steering for a sporty, high-quality feel. The structure wherein the operation shaft is separate from the motor-assist shaft reduces initial steering resistance. This enables linear, smooth transmission of torque. In addition, this model keeps the variable-gear ratio design of previous models, which changes the gear ratio in response to steering operations to provide precise steering control during low-speed travel as well as stable, straight-line travel at high speeds. It also comes with an electric brake booster, which offers outstanding boosting performance, improves pre-collision braking response. This, in turn, enhances responsiveness in dangerous situations, such as when bicycles dart out into the road. Furthermore, the inclusion of all-speed adaptive cruise control enables a quick deceleration response when a car suddenly cuts into one’s lane and in similar scenarios.
For the Japanese market, the 2023 Crosstrek the 2.0 L e-BOXER for motor assist to deliver a more nimble-feeling ride. Improvements to reduce vibrations and noise in the engine and Lineartronic CVT have also been made.
As for safety, the 2023 Crosstrek comes with a 360-degree camera, full LED headlights and LED cornering lights. In a Subaru first, it comes with both a dual camera and for low-speeds, a wide-angle monocular camera that can recognize motorcycles and pedestrians at an even wider angle than the stereo camera.
Keyword: Subaru Unveils All-New 2023 Crosstrek Compact Crossover