Photo: Subaru
Subaru just announced subtle upgrades for the XV. However, an all-new generation is going to be previewed by a concept arriving at the Geneva Motor Show next month.
Fuji Heavy Industries' car division has not released any details, but we think this is actually the third in a line of concepts that preview the next Impreza. We had a 5-door hatchback in Tokyo last year, followed by the 4-door sedan in Los Angeles, and now this one.
The teaser photo of the XV naturally shows the front end and the design looks nearly identical to that of the Impreza concept. In a way, that makes the XV a Japanse version of the Mercedes GLA-Class, a raised hatchback that pretends to be a crossover.
All these Japanese compact cars will ride on a new modular platform, Subaru's first such architecture. They will be lighter and stiffer, taking full advantage of more advanced boxer engines.
We expect the production XV to ride on the same floor pan as the Impreza concepts, meaning the wheelbase will be 2,670mm or 35mm longer than the current model and also longer than that of the Nissan Qashqai.
All the other dimensions should be a little bit bigger than the outgoing model without breaking out of the compact class.
Subaru calls its new design language Dynamic x Solid. These are two characteristics that are usually associated with the Japanese brand. However, good-looking cars are not something Subaru is known for.
On the engine front, we can't rule out anything at the moment. Honda just made a great switch to a turbocharged 1.5-liter for the Civic. Chevrolet and Hyundai also downsized the engines of their compacts. In response, Subaru is known to develop an all-new injection system, but we don't know anything about downsizing. Already, they boast a 170 hp 1.6 turbo that's only available in Japan for now.
As a side note, the XV Concept proves that last year's Viziv Future concept car may have been a preview of the next Forester, not the next XV as some suggested at the time.
The teaser photo of the XV naturally shows the front end and the design looks nearly identical to that of the Impreza concept. In a way, that makes the XV a Japanse version of the Mercedes GLA-Class, a raised hatchback that pretends to be a crossover.
All these Japanese compact cars will ride on a new modular platform, Subaru's first such architecture. They will be lighter and stiffer, taking full advantage of more advanced boxer engines.
We expect the production XV to ride on the same floor pan as the Impreza concepts, meaning the wheelbase will be 2,670mm or 35mm longer than the current model and also longer than that of the Nissan Qashqai.
All the other dimensions should be a little bit bigger than the outgoing model without breaking out of the compact class.
Subaru calls its new design language Dynamic x Solid. These are two characteristics that are usually associated with the Japanese brand. However, good-looking cars are not something Subaru is known for.
On the engine front, we can't rule out anything at the moment. Honda just made a great switch to a turbocharged 1.5-liter for the Civic. Chevrolet and Hyundai also downsized the engines of their compacts. In response, Subaru is known to develop an all-new injection system, but we don't know anything about downsizing. Already, they boast a 170 hp 1.6 turbo that's only available in Japan for now.
As a side note, the XV Concept proves that last year's Viziv Future concept car may have been a preview of the next Forester, not the next XV as some suggested at the time.
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