In keeping with Subaru’s rally car roots, the Crosstrek hit the market in 2012 as an affordable, rugged and fuel-efficient all-wheel drive crossover.
Over that period it hasn’t changed a great deal, and that’s exactly how customers like it.
The Crosstrek is one of the only small-SUVs in the highly competitive segment to offer AWD on all models, while many others charge a considerable premium.
The line-up currently starts at $36,490 for the Crosstrek Awd 2.0L and ranges through to $47,590 for the range-topping Crosstrek Awd Hybrid S.
There are eleven colours available for the Crosstrek including; Crystal White Pearl; Ice Silver Metallic; Sand Dune Pearl; Citron Yellow Pearl; Pure Red; Sapphire Blue Pearl; Magnetite Gray Metallic; Crystal Black Silica; Lithium Red Pearl; Geyser Blue and Alpine Green.
Standard features on the entry grade 2.0L and Hybrid L include 17-inch alloys wheels, privacy glass, roof rails, halogen daytime running lights, LED headlights, dual-zone climate control, an 11.6-inch touch screen, six-speaker stereo, plus Apple Carplay and Android Auto.
Stepping up to the 2.0R brings more features in the form of 18-in alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, steering responsive headlights, and premium cloth upholstery.
At the top of the range the 2.0S and Hybrid S add push-button start, proximity unlocking, a 10-speaker Harman Kardon stereo, and leather upholstered seats.
Subaru’s own brochure blurb for the Crosstrek features the promise of off-roading family fun. With that in mind, the warranty will still apply even if you do get adventurous with the vehicle. That said, you might have warranty problems if it’s deemed that you’ve abused the vehicle by trying to take it places it was never designed to go. For example, while the Crosstrek is fine for finding a great mountain bike trail somewhere along a forestry road, trying to drive it up the Old Telegraph Track to Cape York through metre-deep river crossings is not within the Crosstrek’s design brief. Doubtless Subaru might argue you should have bought a high-clearance off-roader with a snorkel for such adventures.
The CVT is Subaru’s own work and design. While many other carmakers buy in transmissions from outside manufacturers, the CVT in the Crosstrek is an in-house effort. It’s generally agreed that Subaru’s CVTs are better than some other brands in terms of durability and reliability.
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Subaru currently has no plans to discontinue the Crosstrek. In fact, it is the brand's second-best-selling model in Australia to the Subaru Forester. From 2025, Subaru are likely to add a hybrid powertrain option to the Crosstrek, which is likely to arrive in the form of a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol 'Boxer' engine with twin electric motors.
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This is one area where the Crosstrek really falls behind many rivals and that is in cargo space of the boot which is 291 litres in the combustion engine cars and 315 litres in the hybrid.
Mind you the reason why the hybrid has more boot space is because Subaru has removed the spare wheel which comes on the combustion engine cars.
The Subaru Crosstrek has a stylish and modern interior filled with soft touch materials with a dark color scheme. If you're looking for glitzy interiors you won’t find the Crosstrek. As with all Subarus, the Crosstrek is more sporty in its interior styling than dripping shiny trimmings.
The Crosstrek comes in two variants: a petrol version; and a petrol-electric hybrid.
Both variants use a 2.0-litre petrol four-cylinder engine.
In the pure combustion variant the engine produces 115kW and 196Nm. In the hybrid the petrol engine produces 100kW and 182Nm, while the motor produces 12.3kW and 66Nm
The Subaru Crosstrek is a five-seater small SUV. Upholstery ranges from cloth in the entry grade to leather in the higher grade cars. It’s a comfortable and spacious setting for even tall drivers and passengers.
The Crosstrek isn't the quickest accelerating vehicle but compared to rivals it's not too sluggish with a 0-100km/h time other about 9 seconds.
The range of the pure combustion variant of the Crosstrek with its 63-litre tank is 875km while the range of the hybrid variant with its 48-litre tank is 738km.