Subaru Reviews

Subaru's XV has been a firm favourite in the small SUV category in Australia for some time, and now it's been renamed Crosstrek to bring it inline with global markets. The Hybrid S is the flagship model and we've looked at how electrification impacts everything from performance and efficiency to practicality and onnership costs.

These small SUVs promise to be small family value heroes, but can we determine which one is the best for you?

Prices have risen significantly with the change from XV to Crosstrek, so the entry price to the range is $1800 more than where the XV ended up in December 2022, but is more than $5000 dearer than it was 12 months ago.

The Crosstrek 2.0R is the pinnacle of the range in terms of equipment, but not price. Starting from $41,490 (excluding on-road costs), it’s actually slightly cheaper than its hybrid equivalent.

The Crosstrek 2.0R is priced from $38,490 (plus on-road costs) and comes generously equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, dusk-sensing headlights and black roof rails.Inside you’ll find cloth-trimmed seats, dual-zone climate control, USB-C and USB-A connections, a six-speaker stereo and an 11.6-inch tablet-style multimedia touchscreen with compatible wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a wireless charging pad.It also comes with a two-mode X-Mode off-road settings, front and rear wipers with front de-icer, self-levelling LED headlights with auto off, front cornering lamps, heated door mirrors, front LED fog lights and dark grey roof rails. Inside the 2.0R gets premium cloth trim for the seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear shift, sports pedals, auto-dimming rear mirror, heated front seats and a 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat. It also adds USB-A and USB-C charging ports for the rear passengers, but notably no rear air-conditioning vents.The design of the Crosstrek follows the same formula as the XV, so it will be familiar to previous or current owners. That means a real ‘high-riding hatchback’ feel to the cabin, with good space up front and in the second row.The front seats have been redesigned for the Crosstrek and do feel comfortable and supportive, even after a whole day of driving.The space in the rear seats is good, enough to accommodate two adults in relative comfort but the boot is on the small side for this class, at just 291-litres. And the temporary spare tyre doesn’t fit with Subaru’s sales pitch of the Crosstrek being an off-road capable small SUV.Like the rest of the range, it comes with Subaru’s EyeSight suite of active safety features. Just some of the highlights of a comprehensive array of safety features includes Front Pre-Collision Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control, Emergency Lane Keep Assist, Lane Centring Function, Lane Departure Prevention, Lane Departure Warning, Autonomous Emergency Steering and Speed Sign Recognition. There’s also a driver monitoring system, which brings a distraction warning, drowsiness warning and facial recognition, and Subaru’s Vision Assist safety package.The 2.0L is powered by Subaru’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder boxer engine making 115kW/196Nm, sending its power to the all-wheel drive system through a CVT automatic. Because of the permanent all-wheel drive the fuel economy is behind some of the Crosstrek’s key rivals, rated at 7.2L/100km.

Changing the name of a popular car model can be a very risky move. So the arrival of the new Subaru Crosstrek is a risk for the Japanese brand. It's a fresh name applied to this new-generation replacement for the XV, which was already a subtle name change from the original nameplate for the model - the Impreza XV.

Subaru has finally released a turbo-petrol engine for two of its Outback models and the Sport XT sits second from the top in the line-up. Are the new engine specs enough to satisfy those wanting the grunt or will the thirst be its downfall in a market that is slowly being dominated by more fuel-efficient options?

The Touring is the top grade in the Outback line-up and has a list price of $55,990.

The Sport XT is the turbocharged version of the Sport grade and lists for $52,190.The Sport XT has a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine making 183kW and 350Nm, with a continuously variable auto transmission. Like all Outbacks the Sport is all-wheel drive, too.Subaru says that after a combination of open and urban roads the 2.4-litre turbo engine should use 9.0L/100km.Coming standard on the Sport are LED headlights, LED fog lights and LED running lights, roof rails, privacy glass and 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside there’s an 11.6-inch central touchscreen with sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, power front seats, a proximity key, push button start, 'X-Mode' drive modes, paddle shifters, a power tailgate, heated front seats and sports pedals.A cool feature of the Sport grade is its water repellent seats. All Outbacks come standard with an excellent array of advanced safety tech including Subaru’s 'Eyesight' system which uses two cameras to scan the road ahead. 

The Touring is the top grade in the Outback line-up and has a list price of $50,990.This isn’t the most expensive Outback in the range, however. The Touring XT is more expensive because it’s the turbocharged version of the Touring.The Touring has a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine making 138kW and 245Nm, with a continuously variable auto transmission. Like all Outbacks the Touring is all-wheel drive, too.Subaru says that after a combination of open and urban roads the 2.5-litre engine should use 7.3L/100km.Coming standard on the Touring are LED headlights, LED fog lights and LED running lights, roof rails, privacy glass and 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside there’s an 11.6-inch central touchscreen with sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, power front seats, a proximity key, push-button start, 'X-Mode' drive modes, paddle shifters, power tailgate, heated front seats and sports pedals.The Touring grades also has nine-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, a heated steering wheel and Nappa leather seats. The Touring also comes with a CD player… yes, really.All Outbacks come standard with an excellent array of advanced safety tech including Subaru’s 'Eyesight' system which uses two cameras to scan the road ahead. There’s AEB, autonomous emergency steering, lane keeping assistance, rear cross-traffic alert with reverse auto braking and blind-spot warning.