Subaru XV 2.0i e-Boxer SE Premium 2020 UK first drive

Subaru dealer forecourts may have long bid goodbye to saloons that could profess to be World Rally Championship winners, but the permanent Symmetrical All Wheel Drive system they helped establish has now become a key part of the brand’s SUV range.

That includes the compact Subaru XV, making this one of the few crossovers that actually has some semblance of ability away from the asphalt - a claim to which it can now add the economy-boosting benefits of a hybrid powertrain.

After the axing of the boxer diesel engine back in 2018, partly in response to the shifting public opinion on filling from the black pump but mainly down to the cost of reengineering to meet WLTP emissions standards, this battery-assisted petrol flat-four is now the most efficient model in the XV line-up, promising a combined 35.8mpg. 

It pairs a 16bhp electric motor and small battery to the familiar naturally aspirated 2.0-litre unit, sending power to all four wheels through a CVT automatic gearbox. 

The XV is otherwise the same capable, well-equipped crossover as before, complete with Subaru’s extensive Eyesight driver assistance system and a fairly extensive standard kit list in SE Premium trim. 

We tried a left-hand-drive car in Latvia late last year, but this was our first opportunity for a longer test on UK roads.

The hybrid is as surefooted as the standard petrol XV, although the focus has very much been on its ability to adapt to the terrain beneath than any kind of driver engagement. It steers with precision, but it can’t claim to be as dynamic as some rivals, with none of the lateral grip or dynamism found in the Seat Ateca or Volkswagen T-Roc.

Instead, it excels with its damping, delivering a largely comfortable ride that copes well with bumps and road imperfections in a way that bodes well for when you need to cross a muddy field or rocky trail - or simply want a car that can cope with Britain’s pockmarked roads. With 220mm of ground clearance and that four-wheel drive system finding traction, it should be able to go where few other crossovers can.

The interior feels built to a reassuringly tough standard, so while there are plenty of plastics, both hard and soft, they should survive more abuse than some rivals'.

The 8.0in touchscreen infotainment system lags behind, though, with dated graphics and sluggish responses. At least Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come as standard and are much more reactive. A second screen above shows when adaptive cruise control (complete with over-eager lane-keeping assistance) is in use or what the powertrain is doing at any given moment.