Established since 1976
Established since 1976
By Lee Pang Seng @ Leeps
ELECTRONICS in automotive use is increasingly being applied to make driving less of a manual affair and many of the newer range of vehicles being introduced are seeing this development trend. The latest Subaru XV is one such example.
It has better ‘EyeSight’ now to help the driver see more clearly while driving and assist him in avoiding likely collisions as well as staying true to his lane and making highway cruising more convenient. This is one of electronic systems that the new Subaru XV comes with to maintain its standing as an SUV (sport utility vehicle) or Crossover of the modern era.
This EyeSight Advanced Driver Assist Technology is said to complete Subaru’s four ‘hallmark’ core technologies for its SUVs in Malaysia. The other three are its Symmetry All Wheel Drive, Boxer engine and Subaru Global Platform. These technologies are aimed at achieving ‘optimised handling, maximum comfort and enhanced safety for all on board’.
Developed as a ‘state-of-the-art’ driving support system, Subaru says EyeSight uses a pair of stereo cameras for image recognition and operates in a similar way to the human eye. It could detect and recognise numerous objects from vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles to motorcycles at the same time.
It is supported by six functions – Pre-Collision Braking; Pre-Collision Throttle Management, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lead Vehicle Start Alert, Lane Departure Warning and Lane Sway Warning. We experienced the first item a couple of times during our week-long drive impression; the first was during an approach to the toll on the SmartTag lane. As the vehicle in front took a lot longer to move, the system announced the danger of collision via audible and visual signals. When we didn’t slow down quick enough, the system applied the brakes strongly.
The other instance was while crawling along a busy road and this pedestrian walked onto our path to avoid bumping into someone. Likewise, the audible and visual warnings were flashed before the emergency brakes were applied very shortly after. In this instance, we felt that the vehicle speed was low and the situation was manageable, but the Subaru EyeSight system deemed it otherwise.
We didn’t take the Subaru XV for a long-distance drive and thus, didn’t get to sample the Adaptive Cruise Control. Moreover, as we are not too fond of using such systems, it would have been a brief sampling. Similarly, we found the audible signals on lane departures (which is also a standard feature in our own SUV) rather irritating and after a brief insight into the system, we switched it off. This system works from about 50km/h or faster.
The Lane Sway item refers to the repetitive or unusual side-to-side vehicle movements, or swaying, within the driver’s lane of travel. The system recognises this to reflect an inattentive driver and functions above 60km/h. It too is activated with beeps and visual alerts so that the driver is more focused on driving safely. We had our share of that during the times we were distracted by something or other.
Subaru says the latest XV is more capable on the go now than before with two new additions – SI-DRIVE and Dual Function X-Mode. The latter is an off-road feature that allows the driver to select either of two different settings that are tailored to a specific driving condition – snow or dirt and deep snow or mud. As it was pretty dry during our drive, we didn’t get to check out this item although we are fully convinced it would come in useful when put to the test, given Subaru’s winning experience in handling tough off-road conditions during its previous years of participation in the World Rally Championships.
We did give the SI-DRIVE a try though; you could select Sports or Intelligent (that’s what SI stands for) driving modes via the respective button on the steering wheel. Selecting Sport increased the engine revs by about 1000rpm so that the engine was on a higher power and torque curve and ready to respond with a quick build-up of speed if we needed it.
Most of the time though, we left the system in Intelligent mode as there was less of an urgency in engine speed and we were happy with the more docile note for city drives. Besides, when we wanted a quick getaway, prompting the accelerator harder than normal would get the engine revving up nicely to send us quickly on our way.
Before we venture further, let’s fill you in on one of Subaru’s core technologies, the Boxer engine. This is a twin horizontally opposed engine that Subaru had been using for more than 50 years. Alfa Romeo used to feature this engine in the Alfasud back in the 1970s and 1980s but has since stopped using it.
In the old days, we used to call this engine the hammerhead shark due to its resemblance when viewed from above. The engine’s flat design is seen as inherently rigid and self-balancing while generating less vibration against the conventional four-cylinder in-line power units. We certainly didn’t feel any engine vibration and it ran just as smooth as the in-line engines.
The Subaru Boxer direct injection engine is a 2.0-litre (1995cc) unit that is undersquare in configuration with 84.0mm bore and 90.0mm stroke. Each two-cylinder bank has double overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder for a total of 16. Output is rated at 115kW (156PS) at 6000rpm and 196Nm at 4000rpm.
It continues to feature the Lineartronic CVT (continuously variable transmission) with seven-speed manual modes. The Symmetrical All-Wheel drive, being another of Subaru’s core technologies, includes the Active Torque Split function. Basically, it apportions torque to all four wheels with the default torque distribution being 60 per cent front and 40 per cent rear. Under more trying road conditions or dynamic demands, the system could apportion torque equally between front and rear for optimum traction.
Dynamically, the Subaru XV took well to winding stretches. It enjoys good balance, firstly with the lowly located Boxer engine, and a good suspension design with MacPherson struts in front and wishbones at the rear. Its low-slung profile with a 1615mm overall height means less body lean; of course, rigid anti-roll bars helped as well.
And we certainly enjoyed the ride comfort that the well-tuned suspension dampers provided. It took all that the city roads had to throw at it – speedbumps, rumble strips, badly patched road sections, potholes and what have you – by ironing out the harshness and cushioning the impacts to make it a comfortable affair for everyone on board.
If there is one thing that the new Subaru XV could be improved upon, it’s the higher degree of road noise from about 80km/h. Road roar is something that is common in new cars and the manner in which it could be contained or subdued would add immensely to its overall ride comfort factor. While we might not need to increase the music volume in the Subaru XV, the higher road noise was immediately noted.
The use of more electronics has also led to a cleaner interior design. One such example is the electronic parking brake. Gone is the handbrake lever on the central console that we recalled from the Subaru XV we drove in 2017. In its place is the X-mode button. The electronic parking brake was released the moment we moved the gearshift out of Park.
There are also several other updates in the latest version of the Subaru XV. While its overall body styling is retained, there is a new front bumper and grille as well as redesigned 17-inch alloy wheels. The XV GT (that we had the drive impression in) is a new option for those wanting a more aggressive stance; the body kit – created in ‘close collaboration’ with renowned Japanese engineering company Giken Co Ltd and Masahiko ‘Jack’ Kobayashi - includes the front and rear bumper lip extensions, roof spoiler, side skirts and bespoke alloy wheels that are more striking in design.
The XV GT also comes with special leather seat upholstery that Subaru says is inspired by the cabins of high-performance grand tourers from Europe as well as the Superview Around Recognition Three-sixty system. The latter uses four cameras for a clearer view to make manoeuvring and parking in tight spaces easier.
Generally, for the driver, there is now an eight-way electronically adjustable seat with memory settings and Rear Seat Reminder. Adding to the convenience of the driving the latest Subaru XV are the reverse auto-tilt door mirrors and Auto Vehicle Hold function.
The new Subaru XV also commands a higher price of RM139,788 for the XV 2.0i-P and RM146,788 for the XV GT. These prices are on the road without insurance and with the sales tax exemption (which applies till June 2022). In spite of the higher tags, the Subaru XV is competitively set against rivals in the SUV market and boasts the unusual Boxer engine to make driving exclusive and exciting.
