Subaru to Debut Production XV Crosstrek at New York Motor Show

We have seen concepts of the Subaru XV Crosstrek since last year's Shanghai Motor Show, but the car's production version will finally be unveiled at the New York Auto Show in early April. The XV Crosstrek takes the concept of the Subaru Outback and applies to the Impreza to pump the car up and make it a little more capable  off-road. 

While based on the Impreza, the XV gets a beefier body with side- and wheel-arch cladding for protection and roof rails for added carrying capacity. The front and rear bumpers are exclusive to the model. The XV has 8.7in of ride height, which places it about 3in higher than an Impreza. It comes standard with 17in wheels. Traction control and stability control are also standard. 

Inside, the XV offers the same 35.4in of rear legroom and 52.4ft² of total cargo capacity as the Impreza. 

Mechanically, the XV is very similar to the Impreza it is based on. It uses Subaru's new 2.0 liter boxer engine with 148hp and 145lb-ft of torque that is rated at 25mpg city and 33mph highway. It will come with either a five-speed manual or CVT transmission. It also gets a 15.9 gallon fuel tank, which is 1.4 gallons larger than the Impreza is it based on. 

The XV will have two trim levels. The base Premium trim level comes standard with a telescoping steering wheel with audio and Bluetooth controls, Ipod control, aux input and multifunction display that shows fuel economy info and outside air temperature. The higher Limited trim adds the CVT transmission as standard - it is optional on the Premium trim - leather seats, steering wheels and shift handle, automatic climate control, auto headlights, rear vision camera and HD radio. The All-Weather Package is standard on the Limited but optional on the Premium and adds heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors and windshield wiper de-icer. A moonroof and navigation are optional on both cars.

Subaru has not announced a price for the XV Crosstrek yet, but expect it to be between the $17,495 for a base Impreza and $23,295 for a base Outback.