Subaru Crosstrek 2024 long-term test

The sunroof isn't the only throwback inside: if you're the sort of person (and I count myself among their number) who bemoans the ever-increasing number of touch-sensitive - or, far too often, insensitive - controls in modern machinery, this car is for you.

There is a touchscreen for the infotainment, and a pretty good one at that, increased from 8.0in in the old XV to 11.6in here, but elsewhere there are lots of traditional switches, some even making an old-school click-clack sound.

Indeed, a sense of no-nonsense practicality pervades. The interior is surprisingly roomy for what isn't a huge car and the back seats in particular feel spacious (at 6ft 3in, I can sit behind the driver's seat when it's set up for me), although the rear seatbacks are very short and head room is rather at a premium. 

Space is even more limited in the boot: the battery for Subaru's e-Boxer hybrid system sits under the floor, so there's no extra storage and it's pretty shallow, leading to a meagre 315 litres with the seats up.

In the front, however, the seats are really comfortable, with an odd blend of sitting fairly high, due to the jacked-up suspension, but deeply set within the car.

Comfort levels are further augmented by the ride, which Subaru has worked hard on to make this car well tuned for road use without compromising the marque's famed off-road ability.

There's 10% more torsional rigidity than in the old XV, and that's more than mere PR guff: open the rear doors and you will see secondary latches at the base of each to anchor them to the body.

So it's stiffer and smoother-riding than before, as well as 150kg lighter, which should further aid its ability in the rough stuff, as well as giving a marginal improvement in fuel efficiency.

So far, it hasn't exactly blown me away on that score, with mainly town driving resulting in an average MPG in the low-30s - to be fair, not far behind Subaru's own WLTP figures.

That's because the 'hybrid' bit is a touch misleading: this isn't a plug-in or a proper self-charging hybrid with a large battery pack but very much a 'mild' hybrid.

Its 0.57kWh battery will give a couple of hundred yards of fully electric running, but the petrol engine swiftly kicks back in and more often the battery power is being deployed under acceleration.

Ah yes, acceleration. Time to address the elephant in the room, which is the standard Lineartronic CVT. This is a boon for off-road work but can make on-road driving and in particular meaningful acceleration - a laborious affair.

Yet it didn't take me too long to work out how it prefers to be deployed and to drive around its compromises, letting the motor chip in with its 16bhp and 49lb ft of torque (much needed, with only 134bhp and 134lb ft from the normally aspirated 2.0-litre flat four) to get me up to speed.

It's simply a case of tuning into - and enjoying - a slightly less hurried pace of life. First impressions, then, are of a flawed but very likeable family car - a conclusion that makes it look like a bit of an expensive indulgence.

But so far it has spent its time with the trundling to and from work on the outskirts of London, so I haven't yet had a chance to really dip into its talent pool. I'm looking forward to rectifying that situation in the very near future.

Second Opinion

The Crosstrek’s well-mannered, pleasant-riding suspension surprised me. With something that has genuine offroad ability, I expected a fairly rough and ready on-road compromise, but Subaru’s claimed fine-detail tuning work really is apparent. The hybrid powertrain is less impressive, particularly when you work it a bit. With such a chassis, this car certainly deserves something more enticing. An atmo flat six, maybe? If only… 

Matt Saunders

Back to the top

Subaru Crosstrek 2.0i E-Boxer Touring specification

Specs: Price New £36,290 Price as tested £36,290 Options

Test Data: Engine 4 cyls horizontally opposed, 1995cc, petrol, plus 48V hybrid assist Power 134bhp at 5600rpm Torque 134lb ft at 4000rpm Kerb weight 1630kg Top speed 123mph 0-62mph 10.8sec Fuel economy 36.8mpg CO2 174g/km Faults None Expenses None