Subaru SUV called up to the first XV By Tom Hunter Published on Friday 24 February 2012 11:04 THE owner's manual for the Subaru XV says the new car has a carrying capacity of 1,270 litres with the back seats folded down. Not bad, but a drop in the ocean compared to the much bigger burden of responsibility resting on its axles. Subaru sold just 2,600 cars in the UK in 2011. It was, to quote Subaru UK managing director Darren James, "a nightmare year." He blames the slump firmly on the 2011 Japanese tsunami, the strength of the yen and the lack of new models in the showrooms. But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and all that, and now Subaru is rolling up its sleeves in readiness for a fresh assault on the market. Expect the pretty BRZ coupe to grab lots of headlines and a good few sales when it arrives here in the summer. For now, though, it's the XV that must arrest the slide into obscurity. The XV is Subaru's entry into the burgeoning crossover SUV market and marks a new direction for the company as it seeks to steal sales from the Nissan Qashqai, Ford Kuga, Audi A3, Kia Sportage, BMW X1 and litany of other models that make up this sector. So, instead of pitching the XV to its core audience of country types and wannabe rally drivers, it issues a rallying cry to "uncompromising parents" up and down the country, urging them to use the XV as "an enabler" and "a tool to light up their lives." I say! They'll even sell you one with bright orange paint. If that all sounds a bit, y'know, "trendy," than you'll be pleased to hear that traditional Subaru traits remain. All-wheel drive? Check. Flat-four "boxer" engine? An interior that'll look better the filthier it gets? Looks that only a mother could love? Well... the XV won't win any beauty pageants but you won't mistake it for anything else. Black, silver and white ones are the most handsome, but go for tangerine or sky blue if you want to make a statement. Three engine options are offered: a 112bhp 1.6-litre petrol, a 148bhp 2.0-litre petrol and a 145bhp 2.0-litre diesel. A 70-mile cross-country dash across England's midriff last week confirmed that the pick of the trio has to be the two-litre diesel. It pulls like a train, giving nothing away to the two-litre petrol engine in terms of performance, while trouncing it in the fuel economy stakes. Best of all, it still has that trademark Subaru thrum. All trim levels come with 17-inch alloy wheels, air-conditioning, front, side, curtain and knee airbags, daytime running lights, wiper de-icers, a CD player and a multi-function display. SE models gain cruise control, dual-zone aircon, rear-view camera, brighter headlights, Bluetooth and rear privacy glass. The XV's airy cabin is roomy too, the view from the driver's seat is good, helped by the elevated ride height and narrow windscreen pillars, and there's lots of legroom in the back. Subaru claims lots of best-in-class honours for the XV - among them best fuel consumption for the diesel, highest ground clearance, lowest centre of gravity, lowest CO2 emissions and best-in-class crash safety rating. We can vouch for the effectiveness of the car's Vehicle Dynamics Control, which kept us pointing straight ahead while a man in a shed cranked Rockingham Speedway's kick plate (a moving platform designed to simulate aquaplaning by throwing the car into a spin) up to the max. No doubts, either, about the XV's ability to haul itself across a muddy field, along a snowy track or up the side of a minor mountain. Even on standard road tyres, it proved unflappable as we splashed through a swamp and scaled steep gradients on Rockingham's off-road track, helped by the car's short overhangs and good ground clearance. So, will this turn Subaru's fortunes around? On its own, probably not. Without a 2WD version to woo urban warriors who want the off-road looks without the go-anywhere capabilities, it's still a bit too niche-y. But, come summer, with Subaru forecourts full of bright orange XVs and brilliant blue BRZs, expect the showrooms to be much busier.