Subaru Vortex Reviews

Subaru's latest Impreza has been to fuel school where it has jumped from the rear of the class to close to the front row. The new model drinks much less than its predecessors.VALUEThe sedan and hatch are the same price and available in three trim levels, all well equipped. They are the 2.0i at $23,990 (CVT 26,490), the 2.0i-L $26,990 (CVT $29,490) and the 2.0i-S CVT $31,490.Standard fittings include seven airbags, stability control, all-wheel drive, five-star crash rating, automatic airconditioning, steering wheel audio and cruise controls, Bluetooth, iPod and USB connection and a multi-function display.The 2.0i-L adds a reversing camera, dual-zone climate control, 16-inch alloy wheels, an upgraded display, fog lights, rear privacy glass, and a leather trimmed steering wheel and gear shift. The 2.0i-S adds 17-inch alloy wheels, alloy pedals, upgraded speedometer and trim, side skirts and indicators in the mirrors.A $3000 option pack on the 2.0i-L adds satellite navigation and a sunroof and a $4000 option pack on the 2.0i-S adds satellite navigation, a sunroof, leather trim and a power driver's seat.ENGINEThe six-speed manual version sips just 7.1l/100km, a 20 per cent improvement, and the new constantly variable transmission version, a first for the Impreza, does even better at 6.8l/100km or 22 per cent less.These gains are even more impressive considering the Impreza is the only model in the small car class to come with the security of all-wheel drive. The savings come from a more efficient version of the 2.0-litre boxer engine, taller gearing, engine stop/start on idle and electric power steering.Output from the new longer stroke engine is unchanged at 110kW and 196Nm with peak power coming in at 6200rpm (200rpm lower) and peak torque at 4200rpm (1000rpm higher).Subaru says this gives the engine more pull in the low and middle speed ranges, but that's not how it feels in the manual version, which needs 2500-3000rpm in hand to respond mid-range despite having six speeds instead of five. Now in its fourth generation, the new model is all about refinement and adding new features with no change in prices.DESIGNStyling is bolder and more distinctive than its predecessor with sharper lines, more prominent grille and bulging wheel arches. The interior layout and trim is more upmarket with soft touch surfaces, classy and logical main instruments and centre stack and a host of storage bins and pockets.Thinner inner door skins also improve elbow room and the larger door openings and lower sills improve access. With no change in length, width, weight or turning circle, the new model is a fraction lower than its predecessor and has a 25mm longer wheelbase which brings a welcome boost to rear seat hip, shoulder and leg room.DRIVEThe engine sounds busy in the lower gears although it does settle down to cruise quietly on the open road. The gear shift remains ``notchy'' and there is minimal space between the clutch and left foot rest. The CVT is better and well worth the extra $2500.It feels livelier, is more seamless in its mid-range response and is overall nicer to drive. Even the characteristic slurring inherent in a CVT is well disguised in normal use, flaring mostly under hard acceleration or in steep terrain. On the move, the Impreza feels solid and secure thanks to the stiffer and stronger yet lighter body.Re-tuning the suspension has further elevated the handling and grip and refined the ride which is at the top of its class in compliance and quietness over a wide range of surfaces. Electric power steering is a little remote initially but sharpens up as steering lock is applied.

Executive city location, gorgeous (of course) supermodel date, even man’s best friend. They all get ditched for a spin in the Subaru BRZ, according to this latest bit of blatant promo film. And the spin on the video is that nothing will compare. Carsguide hasn’t had more than a few laps in the car, so we can’t comment thoroughly on that. But it certainly looks the business – easily one of the best designs to wear a Subaru badge in …well, ever. And that alone is good enough for us to give the footage a thumbs-up. And it may be as close as we’re going to get for a while. The hot rear-drive coupe launches here in July, and just about all the stock is already sold. It promises to be a cracker, with a 2.0-litre direct-injection petrol engine putting out 147kW of power and 205Nm of torque, and mated to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.

Australia's most successful international rally driver claims that at 32 he can still force his way back into the top level of racing in the World Rally Championship. The quietly-spoken Gold Coaster is the hot favourite for this weekend's International Rally of Queensland where he is competing in round three of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship that he is currently leading."I've still got a lot of years left in me," he said yesterday at the shakedown for this weekend's event through the slippery forest roads of the Sunshine Coast hinterland."Just look at (Petter) Solberg who got a factory drive with Ford at 38 and is still running at the front, so I reckon I've got at least another eight to 10 years in me."Atkinson won the Queensland event in 2004 before heading to the WRC with the Subaru factory team until 2008. He has since competed in the past two APRC seasons, coming a frustratingly close second last year."The break from WRC has really refereshed me and now I'm keen to get back to the top," he said.In an effort to revive his WRC career, Atkinson will compete in a Ford Fiesta in the Finnish and German events later this year for "drift king" Ken Block's team."I need to be doing WRC events. That is the only way to show your true speed up against the best in the world," he said."I've been in discussion with teams, but they want to see what we can do in the WRC."There are still only a handful of drivers who can run in the top three and we used to be one of those. But that was three years ago and people want to see I can still do it."Atkinson doesn't mind the pressure of being "hot favourite" for the third year in a row at the Queensland rally, despite mechanical issues in the past two years preventing him from converting that favouritism into victory."I guess that's expected at a home event," he said."I put the same pressure on myself and you have to work harder than the others. It's a rally I have to win."But rallying is a team sport and our team is better prepared this year."Atkinson has switched from a Proton to a faster Skoda Fabia S2000 this year and is leading the series with team-mate Gaurav Gill second."That's the first thing you have to do; beat your teamnmate, but Gill will be quick."His other main rival is his replacement at Proton, Per-Gunnar Andersson, a two-time Junior World Rally Champion. Atkinson said the wet clay surfaces in the forestry stages will make this event "tricky"."Usually it's a hard surface with plenty of grip here, but there are some new surfaces with clay on top and when it gets wet it's more like ice than dirt," he said."There will be a lot of changing from wide roads with good grip to narrow roads with no grip, so you will have to drive precise and choose the right tyres and car set-up."The 44th International Rally of Queensland also features other series running concurrently such as the Australian Rally Championship and, for the first time, the Side-by-Side Rally Challenge with former Australia including three-time ARC winner Cody Crocker driving with V8 Supercar racer Tim Slade.PROFILEChris AtkinsonBorn: November 30, 1979, BegaWRC career: Subaru 2004-2008, Citroen Junior team 2009. 68 rallies, 6 podiums, 41 stage wins, fifth in 2008 season.Career highlights: 2003-04 Super 1600cc Asia Pacific champion; second in 2004 ARC, winner 2002 Australian Privateers Cup 

Subaru and Volvo - the only two car makers offering a radar-based collision avoidance system - claim some insurance companies will chop about $150 off the annual premiums of owners of their cars. The cars include premium versions of Subaru Liberty and Outback models, and six Volvo models.The systems - called Eyesight by Subaru and City Safety by Volvo - fitted to both cars prevents forward contact with another object by autonomously applying the brakes and bring the car to a complete. It works at speeds below 30km/h though future Volvo models will increase this to 50km/h.The savings to insurance companies are huge. Big insurer NRMA says that low-speed rear-end accidents are the most common vehicle accident repair jobs and that 75 per cent of these occur at speeds less than 25km/h.NRMA's research director Robert McDonald says there are 50,000 rear-end accidents in NSW each year with an estimated damage bill and insurance cost of $200 million.That equates to about 200,000 accidents a year around Australia, costing about $800 million. "We are very confident that the technology will reduce the likelihood of the XC60 being involved in a collision,'' Mr McDonald says. "This is set to be reflected in our pricing, and we would estimate that the cost of an insurance premium for this vehicle will up to 20 per cent cheaper than it would be if it didn't have the technology.''HOW THEY WORKSubaru's Eyesight system uses a pair of cameras mounted at the top of the windscreen. It judges the distance to an object ahead and will stop the car if contact is imminent. It does this without any driver intervention.Eyesight's forward vision also warns when the car is straying from the lanes or to the road shoulder and monitors driver fatigue. Subaru Australia spokesman David Rowley says the Eyesight technology will soon flow down to less-expensive Subaru models.Volvo's City Safety has been available since 2009. While the Subaru uses cameras, the Volvo uses laser scanners. It will be upgraded to a 50km/h minimum in the near future. City Safety is standard in Volvo S60, V60, V70 , S80, XC60 and XC70 models and in the new V40 hatchback here early in 2013.The new Mercedes-Benz B-Class model is fitted with a system that judges an imminent collision by preparing the brakes but, unlike the Subaru and Volvo system, will not bring the car to a standstill unless optioned with the Distronic function. 

The two fresh Subaru faces will arrive in January, with the Forester's complete change brings with it an automatic gearbox for its diesel-engined models.The CVT box is a tweaked version of the unit fitted to the current Impreza models, with gearshift changes designed to suit off-road applications. Subaru will also bring access to offroad adventure in the form of a high-riding sedan.The Liberty sedan cross-over - effectively a four-door Outback - arrives in January with 60mm extra high-ride suspension and the choice of four and six-cylinder petrol engines.It has no direct competitors in its expected $35,000 to $55,000 price bracket but will be shopped against its wagon counterpart and new models including the diesel-only Volkswagen Passat Alltrack wagon, due here in November.The Liberty sedan cross-over - which is yet to get an official name - was first displayed at last month's Beijing motor show. Compared with the standard Liberty sedan, it features a new grille and front bumper, chrome side skirts and 18-inch alloy wheels.Cabin changes are black metal dash trim and relocated electronic park brake and SI-Drive switches. Subaru Australia's managing director Nick Senior says the car will be ideal for Australian roads ``where we have a huge percentage of unsealed surfaces and the extra ride height adds to its capability in regional and rural areas''.Subaru sells the bulk of its diesel models into these areas yet, conversely, the Liberty sedan won't come with a diesel engine. Well, not initially."Another key aspect of this new Liberty variant is that the hip point is 70mm higher than the current sedan,'' Senior says. Only two markets in the world - Australia and China - will get this model. Senior says that's because they each have unique road conditions. "It is still an enlightening statistic that around 60 per cent of our roads are unsealed,'' he says."Our all-wheel drive Liberty is a great choice for these conditions and the new variant with its extra ground clearance makes an even stronger case."We see its main market to be in rural areas, but it will also be ideal for those with tricky driveways, those who travel with trailers and caravans, or just those who want a sedan where you can sit a bit higher.''The Liberty sedan variant goes on sale about January and will be available with either 2.5-litre four-cylinder or 3.6-litre six-cylinder petrol engines. Keen spotters of Subaru product would have noticed a hybrid model on the 2011 Tokyo motor show stand. The Advanced Tourer Concept (ATC) is a sports wagon with an aerodynamic body over a hybrid system that combines a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine and an electric motor. Though the drivetrain is interesting and may be with us in a few years, be prepared to see that body shape a bit earlier. 

Virtually all stock of the hot rear-drive coupe is sold ahead of its official July launch - an event that is shaping up to be a very quiet affair for motoring journalists - and it may take months for the pent-up demand to ease. Subaru has sacrificed part of its own marketing strategy with the BRZ. It ceased production of its broad-brush mini-car range - sold predominantly into the Japanese domestic market - and converted the factory to make the BRZ. Toyota, the majority shareholder in Subaru's parent Fuji Heavy Industries, has taken over some of the minicar production. The BRZ is expected to be sold in the $40,000 range, slightly higher than the Toyota GT 86 clone that goes on sale a month earlier. The July launch date for the BRZ coincides with the release of the far less thrilling - unless you're a parent - seven-seat Exiga wagon. This wagon was originally launched as a six seater but was re-configured to broaden its market. It retains the 2.5-litre engine of its sister car, the Liberty. Subaru Australia's managing director Nick Senior says feedback from Exiga customers showed they wanted the size and flexibility of the cabin "but some felt a seventh seat would be the icing on the cake''. "So that's exactly what Fuji Heavy Industries has now delivered,'' he says. Minor cosmetic changes will come with the seven seats, including a new-look 17-inch alloy wheel design for the Premium model and changes to the door mirrors. The model was upgraded in January with standard reversing camera, dusk-sensing headlights (Premium model) and steering wheel controls for Bluetooth, voice command, audio streaming, USB connectivity and iPod jack.  

The Outback has been around for a while but the technology is new. Safety conscious Subaru has lifted the bar again, with the addition of some active safety featyures usually found only in high end European cars. It is the first Japanese car maker to do so. We're talking about the new Eyesight system.WHAT IT ISEyeSight uses stereo camera technology to provide driver assistance in a variety of conditions. Among other things it features include Pre-Collision Braking that can stop the vehicle if it detects the risk of frontal collision. The two tiny cameras are located inside the cabin either side of the rear vision mirror at the top of the windscreen.WHAT IT DOESFirst off you get active cruise control. Set the speed and if the car detects another car in front of it travelling slower than your set speed it automatically slows the car to maintain a safe distance. If the car in front brakes suddenly and you're too busy playing with your iPhone, then the system will automatically apply the brakes on your behalf to prevent a nasty accident. That doesn't mean you're should be playing with your phone. You also get a reminder when the vehicle in front starts to move again. The system also warns you if you stray out of the line markings of your lane with a series of audible beeps.DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?Active cruise is great if you're travelling in a string of traffic that is speeding up and slowing down all the time. For example on long weekends when you're heading of the city and down the coast. You can adjust the distance between you and the car in front.The minimum distance depends on the speed you're travelling. Unfortunately it's not small enough to prevent other drivers from cutting in which can be really, really annoying. They on the other hand probably think you're dawdling.WORTH IT?Eyesight is standard with the Outback 3.6R Premium automatic ($57,490) as well as the Liberty 3.6R Premium auto sedan ($53,490). We like everything about the Outback apart from the fact it's so visually challenged. It's safe, rides and handles well, with relatively good fuel economy for a biggish petrol engine (we were getting 9.8 litres/100km). Comes with plenty of kit including a huge touch screen satnav system. At the same time, strangely it misses out on an auto dimming rear view mirror. VERDICTIt's standard on our test Premium model. The thing is with safety features, people are reluctant to pay extra for them, but if they're part of the bundle that's okay. If your speed is less than 30 km/h, Subaru says the car may be brought to a complete stop prior to impact. Your insurance company will love you (Volvos with this system attract a discount).Subaru Outback 3.6R PremiumPrice: From $57,490Engine: 3.6 Litre, 6 CylinderOutputs: 191kW/350NmTransmission: Five-speed Sports automatic.Economy: 10.3/100km combined. CO2 Emissions: 242g/kmCrash rating: 5 stars ANCAP 

The continuously variable transmission will be offered on the Outback 2.0 from the first quarter of 2013. And it’s likely the Forester will also get one, but not until the next generation. It’s likely to be welcomed with open arms – and now closed hands – by those who prefer not to shift for themselves, Subaru says.  Subaru has had overseas engineers working with local ones to tweak the transmission for local conditions. Subaru managing director Nick Senior says the carmaker knows Aussie buyers are keen for automatics on diesel vehicles. “We know there’s massive pent up demand for auto diesels, particularly in rural and regional areas, so it’s a great opportunity for us to meet the needs of those customers,” Senior says. “Diesel Foresters and Outbacks represent up to 20 per cent of sales of those models, so the addition of the diesel auto Outback for Model Year 2013 is significant news for Subaru. “The CVT transmissions in our petrol cars are a huge hit, typified by new XV and Impreza, so we can only see good things for Outback auto diesel.” Having said that, Subaru admits they want one on the Forester as well but says it is in the future. “We want to get an automatic in the Forester as soon as we possibly can, but it will not be in the current generation,” Subaru spokesman David Rowley says. “The current Forester will be superseded early next year and we’re discussing with (Subaru parent) Fuji Heavy Industries as to when the CVT diesel will be available to go into that. We don’t have that fine timing yet but are very keen to see it in the Forester.” Rowley says Subaru can expect to see a sales jump in both Outback and Forester when their automatics arrive. “The lack of an automatic is the only thing holding those sales back,” he says. “We’ll be able to grow those substantially with the auto available – and it will be genuine growth in both ranges (rather than people simply moving across from the manual versions). In the compact SUV segment in which both Outback and Forester sit, the automatic will give them firepower against similarly equipped Hyundai ix35, but Subaru could also go hunting Europeans such as the Skoda Yeti and Mini Countryman. “It’s fair to say we can see some conquest sales,” Rowley says. Subaru will announce the Outback 2.0’s full specifications and price-tag closer to launch.  

Is a crossover too big a compromise? I was a bit perplexed by the Subaru Outback 3.6R Premium – was it a station wagon, an SUV, a performance car, family oriented or adventure oriented?  Does the crossover try to offer something across all aspects -- and fail to excel in any one of them? It takes a few days to find out.DESIGNFace facts: this is not an attractive vehicle. The styling is subtle but grey – our test car was charcoal, but it was also grey in every other sense of the word. It could easily be lost in a supermarket car park, forever. I found myself hoping the looks would grow on me, but they didn’t.The interior is like a small lounge with big leather furniture.  The seats are flat, wide and hard – and won’t serve well for long trips where you need a hugging contour and medium firmness for support.  I was already in need of a good stretch and massage after a short one hour commute.The highlight is the stitched leather, which looks classy and tough. Perfect for letting kids or a  slobbering dog loose without having to worry about damaging the upholstery.  Opinion was divided on the plastic brushed aluminium look dashboard and surrounds.  I thought they looked and felt cheap, my wife thought they looked classy.  But otherwise, the dashboard is very clear, well laid out and a pleasure to use at night.Visibility all round is great -- with a relatively high position, and no major blind spots, even for a wagon – and the large mirrors meant all but the smallest of cars or motorbikes were in your peripheral vision. EQUIPMENTAs usual with Subaru, everything you expect is on hand: full climate control and electric everything.  Initially, the media-navigation system was a little painful to operate, but does have touchscreen which is a small bonus. Although the head unit does have Bluetooth connectivity, this is acceptable for telephone conversations (and worked really well) but the quality is not high enough for music. It would be better to see an iPad/iOS type head unit installed in a car of this type – which is likely to be doing some long recreational trips. The only other real omissions at this level are heated seats – which risks leaving wives very unimpressed (trust me on this) – and tyre pressure sensors, which are not expensive and should be considered a must have safety feature.SAFETYThe Outback meets the ANCAP five-star rating, with an arsenal of airbags, anti-lock brakes and all the expected safety kit. But it also has a special system called EyeSight -- in short, an extra pair of eyes permanently glued to the road in front of you, alerting and taking appropriate action probably before you even think of it. This is a level of technology that comes not just with an instruction manual but a DVD to guide you through the introduction.At first, I was dismissive, believing in better driver education and not building a reliance – let alone dependence  -- on technology.  But after two days of using it, I was impressed with a couple of key features.  The adaptive cruise control allowed me to set the cruise at 60km/h in morning traffic, and -- unless I stopped completely -- Eyesight kept me a safe distance from the vehicle in front, adjusting my speed up or down, even automatically braking to a halt if required. It was surprisingly smooth and accurate.  It does get a little confused if another car enters the lane and into it’s field of view, and takes more abrupt action, but it works amazingly well. The feature I wanted to kill was the lane sensor alert.  Initially, I couldn’t help myself, playing with the system on the way home.Other drivers must have thought I was drunk or had lost my marbles.  In clear space, I drifted side to side across lanes, not once or twice, but at least 8 to 10 times, testing when and how EyeSight would alert me.  I’m surprised nobody called the police, but then again if they had, in the Outback I’d have just blended into the traffic and they’d never spot me. But in daily driving, after a while the lane sensor is annoying, beeping every few minutes, general moving in and out of traffic, entering and exiting freeways, and normal city driving.  I can imagine on a lengthy motorway cruise, it would be a useful safety feature, but in everyday traffic it drove me to the point of distraction and annoyance.Although it took a while to get used to getting the best out of EyeSight, after a couple of days, I’d built a beautiful symbiotic relationship, driver and technology in perfect harmony.  I’m a passionate believer in full driver training and education -- and driver control -- however (and I can’t believe I’m writing this) I now think  the adaptive cruise and pre-collision braking should be mandatory on all new vehicles.  It would prevent 90 per cent of those pointless rear-enders, and force drivers to leave the appropriate space between vehicles.Interestingly, EyeSight had a maximum setting of 2 seconds gap, and I would rather have had this as the minimum, with the ability for the driver to increase the gap if it was still a little too close to the car in front.  Imagine the reduction in insurance premiums and time saved in morning traffic without those dumb accidents.DRIVING AND PERFORMANCEThe first drive in the Outback was particularly eventless -- even boring.  I left the CBD office in peak hour traffic and arrived home 45 minutes later.  Interestingly, I did notice I had arrived stress–free – which probably says something.The engine and gearbox were quiet and smooth, the ride was firm and understated, quietly satisfying. But after driving the Outback for a couple of days, I was wondering if this “premium” version actually had any guts and was generally feeling quite let down.  I read the specifications again, 3.6 Litres, 191kW, 1600kg. Where? Was I missing something?  Where was all this performance hiding?I dedicated some quality experimental time to locate that all important “GO” button. Found it. Right there on the centre console dial.  Switch over to mode and leave it there. Wow, what a massive difference.  I pulled out into some fast moving traffic and let it rip.  Everything stiffened up, and with an elegant poise and quiet, rapid acceleration, I was well over the speed limit before I had realised. Again… wow.To put it into numbers, this car actually has more horsepower per tonne than a Mini Cooper S (146hp/t vs 159hp/t), which translates into considerable performance for what does not appear to be a quick car.  The Outback 3.6R Premium is a classic case of a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”.In terms of economy, even though on paper it says it’s quite economical at 14.7L/100km for the urban cycle, a sixth gear wouldn’t go amiss.  I was struggling to get the computer to show less than 16L/100km -- even before I discovered the Outback’s inner wolf.VERDICTSo back to the original question, who would buy the Outback? During the test drive, I have switched my image of the target buyer from WRX upgraders, to older retiring country gentlefolk, and back to mid-40s family man, looking for a quiet life, but with a growler under the bonnet when he wants it. Then I thought of the adventurer who wants to carry an ocean kayak and/or hang glider on the roof, and still use it to commute. I even thought it would be the perfect getaway car for bank robbers: rapid, plenty of room to carry four henchmen and all your loot --  and it’s cloak of blandness means it would simply disappear in the traffic.Finally, I settled almost back where I started: the  Subaru Outback 3.6R Premium is ideal for the grown up ex-WRX owner who now wants practicality and comfort, hidden performance and some extra safety measures built in.  It is perfect for taking the whole family, mum, dad, two leggy teenagers and a couple of dogs to the country camping for the weekend.At more than $63,000 on the road, this is not a cheap prospect. However, considering the number of categories it covers very well, it does present solid value for money. The Subaru Outback 3.6R Premium is a car that can fulfil many roles at a reasonable price.Subaru Outback 3.6R PremiumPrice: From $57,490Engine: 3.6 Litre, 6 CylinderOutputs: 191kW/350NmTransmission: Five-speed Sports automatic.Economy: 10.3/100km combined. CO2 Emissions: 242g/kmCrash rating: 5 stars ANCAP 

Picking the eyes out of the car market has become an art form. Subaru is aiming to carve a niche in the cluttered compact SUV market with its latest XV.ValuePriced from $28,490, it is a little bigger than a $4500 cheaper Impreza but shorter, wider, lower and $2500 cheaper than a Forester The engine is a new lighter-weight and longer-stroke version of Subaru's proven 2.0-litre flat four.There are three models: 2.0 manual at $28,490 (CVT $30,990); 2.0i-L at $31,990 (CVT $34,990); and 2.0i-S at $34,490 (CVT $36,990).Standard equipment includes seven airbags, a reversing camera, stability control, all-wheel drive, five-star crash rating, automatic airconditioning, cruise control, 17-inch alloy wheels with a temporary spare, engine stop/start on idle, a multi-function display, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, six-speaker single CD audio with Bluetooth, iPod and USB connection, fog lights and roof rails.The 2.0i-L adds dual-zone climate control, voice-activated satellite navigation, a sunroof, privacy glass and a sliding centre console. The 2.0i-S adds leather trim, power driver's seat, heated front seats, high-intensity headlights, alloy pedals and indicators in the mirrors.TechnologyOutputs are unchanged at 110kW and 196Nm, but the peak power comes in at 6200rpm (200rpm lower) and peak torque at 4200rpm (1000rpm higher). Despite this higher torque peak, Subaru says the new engine has more pull in the low and middle-engine speed ranges.The XV retains Subaru's signature permanent all-wheel drive system, unlike rivals that are either part-time four-wheel drive or front-wheel drive. Suspension tuning is as good as it gets in this class with agile and confident handling and a smooth, compliant ride over all surfaces.DrivingIt doesn't feel all that punchy on the road, especially in the manual. In the shortish lower gears, the engine sounds strained and needs at least 2500rpm on board to respond mid-range. However, it does cruise at a relaxed 2400rpm at 100km/h in sixth gear.Not helping the driving experience is the notchy, long-throw gear shift. The test car also had a noticeable gear whine at 100km/h, not evident in the automatic. The CVT is $2500 more than the manual, but is nicer to drive and well worth the extra outlay.And the characteristic slurring of the transmission is well disguised in normal use, flaring mostly under hard acceleration or in steep terrain. With a short wheelbase, high clearance and small overhangs front and rear, the XV will go places its rivals would shy from. It is exceptionally competent off-road, if the tracks are dry and not steep enough to warrant low range.ThirstWith the help of engine stop/start on idle, fuel use is a combined 7.3L/100km with the six-speed manual and 7.0L/100km in the constantly variable transmission. On test, it averaged 7.4L/100km in the manual and 7.2L/100km in the CVT. Other efficiency tricks include variable timing on all valves and electric power steering in addition to the revised transmissions.An information display monitors driving style and fuel use and compares it with previous results. It even shows the amount of fuel saved while stationary in engine stop mode. However, those who prefer tranquil motoring will find the engine's harsh cranking intrusive enough to disengage the stop/start function when idling, especially in the manual.DesignFar from getting lost in the crowd, the XV stands out like a beacon. The XV slots in between the Impreza, on which it is based, and the larger Forester.With big bumpers, bulging wheel arches, black alloy wheels, hawk-eye headlights and lairy colours, this pumped-up five-door hatch looks and feels almost armour-plated. Inside, the trim colour is sombre, but all the main controls are clear and easy to use and storage space is generous.The front seats are supportive and spacious, forward vision is good, and seats are set high for easy entry and exit. Load space is tight and not helped by the high boot floor covering an inflated space-saver spare tyre.