Will you buy this crossover? I'm thinking buying it.

after watching the videos... wow, why would anyone get anything else other then Subaru's 4 wheel drive?


also, I wonder how much the 2.0liter forrester XV? with turbo 250hp version coming in for ckd??

If it comes in at 250hp + 4wheel drive.... wow...almost as fast as Cayenne 6.2second 0-100. @ 180++k??


Is this the same car?

http://jalopnik.com/5960236/2014-subaru-fo...round-the-block

This post has been edited by skywardsword: Nov 14 2012, 01:56 PM

booked my subaru xv on wednesday. delivery feb 2013. not confirm colour yet. next month 2 more display model with different colour will arrive. most probably i will choose white but dark metallic grey is also in mind. anyone else book the xv?

were you one of the first 200 people to book the car ?cause i asked at the roadshow in the curve, the sales guy said the first 200 customers will get a rm 6k discount ,... and about 130 people have booked the car already ..

yes , the first 200 get 6k discount. and the car will be registered as 2013 not 2012. i believe T& H will give u some discount but also give you 2012 car. so you lost 1 year in term of depreciation of value. Talk to the sales fellow, currently 90% parts from japan 10% local for the first batch. later maybe more and more parts will be made locally. last count on wednesday they told me 142 cars booked.

Saw on paper, they doing promo, now only 129k

i went to see this yesterday, its 129k now, got 30 units available at this price. Im actually a Subaru fan, used to own a WRX from MI. but i dont think even at 129k the XV is worth it.

1st of all, its not a SUV, its a crossover, its based on the impreza. So the only thing SUVish about it is the slightly higher ride height vs a normal sedan.

I will based my reasons on why its not worth 129k vs the Focus Titanium+ thats 122k atm.

the focus has +3 airbags, electric drivers seat, much bigger boot, 30+ bhp, BLIS, dual clutch and its 7k cheaper. The focus is actually longer then wider then the XV.

so while at first sight ppl go WOW..so cheap 129k for a jap "SUV" if you really do a spec to spec comparison with other cars, its not worth it. Yes it looks nice and is very diffrent from the normal CRV, sportage etc, but its not for me.

well, my friend has one (his father bought it, he just temporarily driving it), and he let me test drive once.

dont talk about power. with such small engine + CVT... really???? normal city/highway drive still okay. but it's a disappointment if you put the foot down.

rear seats not very spacious. boot space still okay.
quite easy to park the car as well.

oh, and, it only comes with halogen headlights. and even Kenwood head unit.

accessories quite less. interior design very traditional-ish.

Well I think to be fair, first of all it is an SUV...and so comparing to another sedan class car might be slightly unfair.

To begin with, Ford Focus is a feature rich car even when compared to a Honda Civic, Toyota Altis, Mitsubishi Lancer and Nissan Sylphy. Ford is really trying to gain market share by providing increased features at competitive pricing. I like the new Focus, being a Ford Smax owner.

However, I think the XV holds its own within its class. First of all these CUV/SUVs are generally all wheel drive and have higher ground clearance, as pointed out by JWRX. These AWD systems generally increases the cost in my opinion.

Although cars like Ford Focus are feature rich, but when compared to similar competition like ASX or CRV, I think XV does have its benefits and pros. CRV is heavy and pretty sluggish compared to XV and ASX, but most spacious out of the 3.

But where I think XV really shines, is the fact that although its small, its form factor coupled with the AWD, low lying COG (due to boxer flat four engine) gives it a pretty good and sporty road handling (for a SUV). And its ground clearance is just superb with more than 200mm space beneath. I owned a Forester for 4 years and really enjoyed the handling and reduced body roll during corners given its size and ground clearance.

Sure the 2.0 NA engine is no road burner, but I don't think XV was targeted at the performance suv/cuv market. That would be the Forester.

These 'off-road' features are obviously not very useful for the general commuter who works in an office with nice car park. For some users who occasionally have to enter industrial areas, shabby roads or even near construction sites, it is indeed useful. Good grip on uneven roads or water patches on highways. Furthermore, with the current frequent flash floods in Malaysia, I have many times seen these SUVs just cruise over most of these water ponds, whereas luxury sedans stop by the wayside worrying about getting their undercarriage dirty or worst still water penetration. Of course it can't escape a mega flood.

So I think at the end of the day, one needs to look at what they need from the car. For people who do not need the ground clearance and AWD then surely they should go for more comfortable sedans with added features. But for people who need it, I think at the reduced price of 129k, it should definitely be considered.

First of all this is NOT a SUV but a crossover.. practically a sedan/hatchback on high suspension. It is actually an Impreza 5 door hatch on high suspension. That is the boot space is no bigger than the Impreza hatch as all they did was put the platform on raised suspension and did not bother to change it. Since you had a forester, you would understand how much a crossover a Forester is and not so much a SUV. I'm not sure which Forester you had but they were all based on the Impreza platform with a higher roof added (for latest model) to look more like an SUV but handles like a sedan. The older models just look like beefier versions of the Impreza wagon.

Crossovers are getting popular as SUVs are just too big to move around in urban areas. That is why they have crossovers like the Suzuki SX4.... small but tall. You have the height benefit but not the size.

Which is why I said CUV/SUVs.......

But at the end of the day, these are just terms for various higher suspended cars of different size. One should not let how the marketing term dictate what they buy. You buy a car for what you need....is all I am saying. Irregardless of what platform it is. Similarly Tiguan and Q5 also share platforms with their smaller siblings.....

If you need a high riding car but not a people mover, then consider it. But if you need ample space, then look at the bigger SUVs. But for what it is and at the price of 129k, I think it is worth considering if it matches ones requirement.

I also owned the very first generation Honda CRV more than 10 years ago....and you know what CRV stood for? There was a huge sticker on the back with the words....Comfortable Roundabout Vehicle.......needless to say...I peeled the ugly thing off....

It could also have been Runabout instead of Roundabout....cannot remember clearly...

Unfortunately in Malaysia people don't have the choice of choosing the Impreza Sedan which is priced lower than the XV. So in fact people are paying for a premium for the same thing they can get cheaper minus the height but they don't realise that in Malaysia since TC Subaru/MI does not bring in the Impreza 2.0i. The 129K for a sedan with additional 3 inches of clearance is a rather high price to pay. Subaru's edge with AWD has been surpassed by the implementation of ESPs/BFDs/ETCs/EveryOther3LetterAbbv/SOS in standard sedans and compacts and it is something not appreciated by most Malaysians. I drive a Subaru myself and fully appreciate the AWD while most drivers don't even know whether they are powered by their front or rear wheels. To them, the car just moves... and that is all they care about.

Hi,
Just to clarify
Did you mean is it like this?

XV = Higher version Impreza sedan

ASX = Higher version of Lancer sedan

That is practically what it is.. of course they don't just jack the car up.. they'd do some cosmetic changes on the outside so it looks more like a crossover than a sedan on stilts. Subaru did some changes outside but didn't do much to the platform. That is the reason for the poor boot space in the XV. People expect a taller car to have a deeper boot space as the clearance allows for that but Subaru didn't change the hatchback platform at all. So you just end up with a 'higher/taller' boot space that is the about the same as the hatchback.

Basically the XV is more like a Golf Cross Country

Passat Alltrack, Cross Touran... that sort of car. A bit lifted, and maybe with 4x4. Other cars like that are for example the Kangoo 4x4

and the Panda 4x4

Though the latter two are actually used as offroaders, the Panda has for example 5 cm more ground clearance.

But if you want ground clearance, may I suggest this?



This post has been edited by kadajawi: Apr 16 2013, 12:45 PM

I remembered posting the Subaru Impreza WRX Hatch and the XV comparison pic in another XV topic... and here it is again.. a quick glance and both cars look almost the same.



This post has been edited by sleepwalker: Apr 16 2013, 12:51 PM

Well all the 2WD technology to prevent slippage are pretty good, but when going into really poor ground conditions that have no road, those 2WD technology really can't help much. I drove my Forester regularly into construction sites (during early stages) and the AWD really really helped out a lot. Tried driving a X1 RWD into site before...big big mistake. If there was rain the night before....

Anyway..as you said a lot of the buyers don't bother too much about AWD. Similar to what ever platform the car is on.

Females will look at it and like or dislike the looks, comfort, usability, ease of getting on or off, get to see the road from a higher level....etc.

Uncles/Aunties will probably like the nice height for getting onto these CUVs without killing their knees...

So far I have seen a few on the road and the drivers are housewives and uncles.

So at the end of the day, these CUVs/SUVs are indeed priced higher than their siblings because the car makers know there is a market for them. Irregardless of how they reuse a platform from a smaller car. If the market needs/wants it they make it. And I am pretty sure coming up with a whole new platform will drive car costs up and given the competition of car models nowadays, I doubt it would be very wise to redesign from floor up unless something is really wrong with it.

Im not saying its a bad car, theres def + points, and ppl will buy it because they like it.

Im just saying that for the price you pay, you really arnt getting much. Dont forget a Suzuki Vitara SUV is only 119k

My experience with the X-Trail and my father was that it is pretty hard to get him into the car. It's just too high.

As for AWD... if you need it, you need it. But my guess is most Malaysians don't, they drive on road. Technology such as ESP can't be replaced by AWD, neither can it replace AWD. Two very different technologies for different purposes.

Personally I think the XV is perfectly fine, it will serve it's purpose (though I'd rather have an Impreza). But that boot is ridiculous. Yes, I believe Sleepwalker explained why it was so small, but still... it is ridiculously small.

I guess the Vitara is better off-road, but the XV could very well be better on road. Since that's where most crossover/SUVs are driven it's perfectly fine.

This post has been edited by kadajawi: Apr 16 2013, 06:15 PM