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By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 73

From 2021 onwards, Subaru's XV mid-sized SUV focused on self-charging hybrid power and featured a light facelift to keep it competitive in its segment. The e-Boxer engine allowed this full hybrid crossover to directly take on segment models like Toyota's C-HR, Kia's Niro and Hyundai's Kona hybrid, cars that by 2021 already had this technology. For a little more money, this Subaru offers more space, much more capability but a little less efficiency.

Modelsword count: 5

5dr SUV (2.0 CVT e-Boxer)

Historyword count: 208

For years, Subaru's have sold on tough, no-nonsense virtues - like practicality and go-anywhere 4WD. If that meant they weren't quite as efficient as rivals, then so be it. But customers aren't quite so forgiving in the modern era. Even something very capable needs to have a degree of electrified efficiency in today's market, hence back in 2021 the need for the Fuji Heavy Industries brand to introduce its e-Boxer full-hybrid engine. By then we'd already seen this unit in the company's Forester mid-sized SUV, but we look at it here in the brand's more compact XV crossover model. This second generation XV was first introduced in 2018, then the eBoxer engine was introduced in 2019. The XV was lightly facelifted in early 2021, at which point the decision was taken to focus only on the e-Boxer hybrid-engined variant. The XV e-Boxer can't be plugged in, but it is a proper self-charging hybrid. In contrast to the mild hybrid engines that were marketed in this period by Ford and Volkswagen Group brands which feature powerplants that can't at any time run independently on battery power, so are nothing like as efficient as full-hybrids. The XV eBoxer sold until late 2023, when it was facelifted and re-named the Crosstrek.

What You Getword count: 282

The XV e-Boxer benefitted from a revised front grille design for the 2021 update, featuring an active grille shutter. The exterior received other discreet upgrades, including a smart fog lamp bezel which surrounds the LED fog lights. Inside this e-Boxer model, it's just as in any other XV. In the centre of the instrument panel lies an 8.0-inch touchscreen display for the infotainment system, with the usual smartphone connectivity via Subaru's Starlink media system. Other manufacturers would also build the various vehicle informational functions you'll need into such a monitor, but here Subaru continued to prefer to separate these into a separate smaller colour screen at the top of the centre stack. From this display, you can oversee the various 'EyeSight' safety systems, plus there's a clock, a compass, trip computer read-outs and a useful off road-orientated screen that shows you the current body angle and the ongoing status of the Symmetrical 4WD system. Anything that both these main monitors can't tell you will probably be covered off by the further screen that sits between the two clear instrument dials that you view through the tactile three-spoke multi-function steering wheel. Accessibility to the back is helped by doors that open wider than those fitted to many competitor models. Once inside, Subaru talks of room for three adults, but the high centre transmission tunnel will make that difficult to achieve on all but the shortest journeys. It'll be fine for three children though. Out back, there's a 340-litre boot which is pretty compact for this size of car, but fold the rear seats down and things improve quite a lot, with 765-litres on offer - or 1,173-litres if you load to the roof.

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