It's called the XV Concept, and it's the third and last design study Subaru made to showcase the design language of the new Impreza family of cars. We saw it today at the Geneva Motor Show, and its significance was not lost on us.
America will never say "I Do!" to the hatchback. But give it an inch of extra ground clearance and the face of a bulldog and you will sell thousands every month. The Mercedes GLA, BMW X1, and Audi Q3 all proved that. Now all Subaru has to do is offer better quality interiors and the XV is all set.
We are superficial about this, of course, as the Subaru developed an entirely new platform for the 2017 Impreza. It's going to be larger yet stiffer and lighter. New engines and a more advanced safety suite will also be part of the package.
The first thing that struck us about the XV Concept in Geneva was its size. It measures 4,520mm (178 in) long, jumping 70mm (2.8 in) and roughly entering the midsize segment. The overall width is up by 140mm (5.5 in) to 1,920 (75.6 mm), while the height of the body is 45mm (1.8 in) lower. Those dimensions explain pretty well why the XV looks a bit like the Mercedes GLA-Class.
The styling is radical, but will have to be toned down significantly when entering production, especially around the headlights. You've seen one set of black protective cladding with metal trim, and you've seen them all.
Rolling on 19-inch alloys with orange accents, the Subaru crossover-hatchback also sports a brand new paint finish called Glacier Khaki Silica. Hopefully, they can put it into production 'cause it looks classy and sporty at the same time.
Considering the larger body, we suspect the XV may cost about $500 more when it goes on sale. Some key standard features should include Lane Change Assist, Blind Spot Detection, keyless access and a reversing camera. In Japan, it should be available with a 1.6-liter turbo engine shared with the Levorg, but America may not be deemed worthy.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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