The Subaru XV is the company’s first foray into the every-growing ‘crossover’ segment, a place where off-roaders crossed with hatchbacks reside.

In this respect the Japanese car maker, best known for producing high performance saloons with a rallying pedigree, is way behind the curve. The five-seater, five-door XV is up against the Nissan Qashqai that was launched in 2007, and that model set a very high standard.

The Nissan has proved extremely popular worldwide and sells in huge numbers – and is now in its second generation – so it is no surprise then that Subaru has decided it wants a slice of the crossover pie with a more rugged approach, much like the Skoda Yeti and Jeep Renegade.

Four-wheel drive as standard

Subaru isn’t completely fresh into this arena because it is well used to producing all-wheel-drive vehicles, the current Outback, Forester and Levorg all come with it as standard. As such, all versions of the XV follow suit and have all-wheel drive capability.

Unlike the Qashqai, there’s no two-wheel-drive version, so effectively the XV has to compete with the traditional 4x4s as well as the ‘soft-roader’ crossovers fitted with optional four-wheel drive.

One petrol and one diesel engine

There is one petrol choice for the XV: a 2.0-litre with 150hp available with either a manual transmission or Subaru’s ‘Lineartronic’ CVT automatic transmission. In manual form the 2.0-litre will return 40.4mpg, while the auto versions are slightly more frugal.

There’s one diesel option, a 2.0-litre unit with 147hp. This is available with a six-speed manual gearbox only and returns 52.3mpg.

Carbon dioxide emissions across the range vary from 141g/km for the diesel to 160g/km for the 2.0-litre manual petrol.

All engines are in the proven ‘Boxer’ configuration, which sits horizontally rather than vertically and is something of a Subaru hallmark, so its powertrain already has credibility.