2017 Subaru XV to be revealed at Geneva show

2017 Subaru XV teased

Subaru XV concept

The hype surrounding the new Subaru XV has started with a smoky teaser image of the second-generation compact SUV revealed ahead of its debut at this years' Geneva motor show on March 7.

Little information has been released other than the new model's name and a hint to the reveal time of 11am, but in a bid to heighten anticipation Subaru will likely reveal further details in the lead-up to the vehicle's launch.

Sufficient detail of the new model's outline was visible in the teaser shot to relate it firmly to last year’s Geneva XV concept, which has since done the rounds of several motor shows and was last spotted in Montreal where it sported a Crosstrek badge, the name given to the XV in North America.

Several strong styling cues seem to have made it from concept to production including the window line, wheels and wheel arches along with both tail and headlights.

Keen observers have noted Subaru's habit of keeping production vehicles close to the concepts that precede them and the XV does nothing to break that mould.

The only available picture reveals remarkably similar side steps, bumpers and roof bars, and the higher than standard ride height that allows the model to span the gap between a conventional wagon and an SUV.

Once launched, the XV will be the second Subaru vehicle after the new Impreza to utilise the company's new Global Platform, a trend that will eventually continue across the whole range.

Other parts of the world may see the XV in hybrid form.

It is highly likely the new XV will be powered by Subaru's ubiquitous four-cylinder boxer engine mated to its well-proven continuously variable transmission when it hits the Australian market.

As consumers have come to expect from Subaru, the XV will also be all-wheel drive, a feature that can only add to the vehicle's off-road credentials.

Other parts of the world may see the XV in hybrid form, but local Subaru management is understood to have knocked back that version for Australia.

A countdown clock seems to be becoming a more widely used gimmick to build excitement in advance of a motor show launch. Korean manufacturer Kia also used one in the lead-up to revealing its new Stinger sedan earlier this year.