Subaru Unveils XV Crossover For U.K. Market

When Subaru unveiled the XV crossover in September, it was initially unclear if it would be offered in the United States. Subaru eventually confirmed that it will be, and now that the XV's U.K. debut is drawing closer, we're getting a better sense about the vehicle and how it might be optioned for American tastes.

Targeting the BMW X1 and Audi Q3 in the U.K. (future plans for Stateside sales of those models are uncertain), the XV goes on sale in Britain in January and is slated for our shores next year. Domestic competition will likely come from more mainstream vehicles such as the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, and Kia Sportage, since based on what we know about Subaru’s European pricing plans and American shopping habits, it’s hard to see X1 and Q3 shoppers (again, if those models eventually are sold here) cross-shopping the Subie in this country.

With unmistakable Subaru styling, standard all-wheel drive, and a choice of three horizontally-opposed “boxer” engines being offered on the British model, including a diesel, the XV is one of two models—the other being the upcoming BRZ sports car—that the company hopes to use to more than double its U.K. sales in the coming years.

As is usually the case, we expect that the U.S. version of the XV will be slightly different. The diesel probably won’t be offered here, and the 1.6- and 2.0-liter four-cylinders slated for England probably won't, either. Since the XV is based on the Impreza platform, we'd expect the same 2.0-liter "boxer" four from U.S. versions to be the engine of choice. The U.K. version will have a start/stop system, and we think that will come to the U.S., too.

With a starting price of about 23,000 pounds, the XV will be cheaper than the X1 and Q3 in England, which won't hurt its popularity in the Old Empire. The big question for American buyers is: What will the XV be called here? Will it keep its name or steal the Outback Sport moniker? Or could it be called the Impreza XV? We'll know in about a year.

[Sources: AutoExpress, Subaru, Motor Authority via Autoblog]