Subaru has taken the first steps – albeit small ones – to an all-electric automobile future with the XV and Forester models in petrol / electric hybrid form on sale in Australia. It has chosen its best-selling sports utility vehicles to introduce its plans for at least 40 per cent of all sales be made up of electric vehicles and hybrids by 2030.
In a tie-up with Toyota, with whom it shared development of the BRZ / Toyota 86 sports cars, Subaru says it plans to reduce its ‘well to wheel’ emissions (from sourcing raw materials to manufacturing a complete car) before the year 2050 by 90 per cent compared with 2010 levels.
The Subaru SUVs feature identical petrol / electric engines, with the XV Hybrid, Subaru claiming, a 14 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency over equivalent petrol variants in the urban cycle and more than 7 per cent in the combined cycle, while Forester offers improvement of more than 19 per cent in the urban cycle and over 9 per cent in the combined cycle, compared to 2.5-litre petrol variants.
Subaru is the first to admit it comes to the electric vehicle segment from a low level, with Subaru Australia managing director, Colin Christie saying: “With the launch into showrooms across Australia, we can see small but important opportunities to enter a growing space in which Subaru will have an increasing presence in the not too distant future, with a variety of increasingly sophisticated and efficient hybrid – and later electric – vehicles.”
The single-model XV Hybrid AWD, the test vehicle, sells for $35,580, plus on-road costs. This compares with $29,240 for the entry-level petrol-only XV and $36,530 for the range-topping petrol 2.0i-S model.
It comes under Subaru’s five-year unlimited kilometre warranty. The lithium-ion battery is covered for eight years or 160,000 kilometres. A 12-month / 12,500 km capped price service plan also applies.
STYLING
Nothing (almost) to see here. Based on the Subaru Global Platform, there’s little exterior difference with the petrol-only XV. It shares all outside dimensions but height, which is 20 mm less due to skinnier roof rails.
Like the entry-level XV petrol, the Hybrid has halogen headlamps and 17-inch alloy wheels. It doesn’t have a spare wheel to make way for the under-floor battery. Instead there’s a repair kit.
However, for those owners wishing conspicuously to parade their environmentally friendly credentials the XV Hybrid sports e-Boxer badges prominently on its flanks and is available in a unique optional colour of Lagoon Blue Pearl.
INTERIOR
Inside, it’s a mixed bag of equipment and decor. Leather has been stripped from firm, yet supportive, seats in favour of a charcoal ‘Premium’ material covering with contrasting orange stitching.
Carbon fibre-look highlights add a touch of sportiness to surroundings, while there is no lack of information on offer to the occupants from a multitude of screens up front.
Rear seats offer good room and the fold-down centre armrest incorporates two cup holders. The area falls short with the lack of air vents and charging points.
The boot measures up with 345 litres of room, which expands to 919 litres with the rear seat backs folded.
INFOTAINMENT
Where to look? That’s the question for the driver seeking info. A 6.5-inch centrally located touchscreen is complemented with a secondary 6.3-inch LCD screen perched above on the dashboard top displaying a string of information including climate control, fuel consumption, trip stats, audio info, and EyeSight functions.
Much of this, and more, is repeated on a 4.2-inch screen between the analogue dials in front of the driver behind the steering wheel.
ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS
The e-Boxer hybrid system is a combination of a four-cylinder 2.0-litre horizontally opposed petrol engine producing 110 kW of power at 6000 rpm and 196 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm linked via Motor Assist to a high voltage lithium ion battery.
The electric motor produces 12.3 kW of power and 66 Nm of torque, and is self-charging, via kinetic energy from regenerative braking and coasting.
The system automatically changes between three modes – Motor Assist EV driving, Motor Assist electric plus petrol engine driving, and petrol engine driving.
Subaru’s Lineartronic continuously variable transmission is mated with the e-Boxer system
SAFETY
As with the entire Subaru new vehicle range, all hybrid variants have a five-star rating for occupant safety from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program.
When driving in fully electric mode (both forward and reverse), the Pedestrian Alert system emits a sound, to warn people close by. The system operates when the vehicle speed is 24 km/h or less.
The XV Hybrid features Subaru’s innovative EyeSight driver assist, featuring pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, pre-collision throttle management, lead vehicle start alert, lane departure warning and lane keep assist.
DRIVING
I have no argument with Subaru’s claim that the direct injection petrol engine, Motor Assist and battery combination produce smooth, linear and responsive acceleration.
I do query some of the maker’s XV e-Boxer Hybrid’s performance claims. For example, depending upon driving environment, vehicle and battery condition, it says the system can operate in fully electric mode up to 40 km/h. Yet, from rest, the test vehicle rarely reached double-figure speeds without the petrol motor chipping in.
At medium speeds, combined power from both the electric and petrol engine produce responsive, linear and fuel-efficient acceleration.
At high speed, the Boxer petrol engine exclusively powers the vehicle, while regenerative braking or coasting with foot off the accelerator, recharges the lithium ion battery.
Under certain driving conditions above 40 km/h, when decelerating or coasting and the battery is charging, the petrol engine can turn off, achieving fuel saving. As soon as the accelerator is pressed, the engine will re-start.
Fuel consumption for the XV Hybrid is put by the maker at 6.5 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined urban / highway cycle. The test vehicle came up with 5.1 litres per 100 kilometres in CBD and suburbs, and 8.6 litres per 100 kilometres on the motorway.
On the bitumen active torque vectoring had the XV Hybrid turning in with quick response and control, while lane keeping assist and reverse automatic braking when parking underlined the car’s five-star safety rating.
Noise and vibration were kept to a minimum, while the four-cylinder engine was refined in its power delivery. The CVT worked smoothly and without fuss across a very wide range of ratios.
Motor Assist enhances X-Mode off-road capability, through better low speed torque control. During a stop-off in a quarry X-Mode and hill descent control were given an extensive work-out on treacherous inclines, without undue stress to vehicle and driver.
SUMMING UP
Subaru has set the bar low in its debut with the XV Hybrid on its way to an all-electric vehicle future and there’s still a fair way to go in the advantages the genre brings to the environment and hip pocket.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
Subaru XV e-Boxer Hybrid AWD: $35,580
Note: This price does not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your local Subaru dealer for drive-away price.
SPECIFICATIONS (Subaru XV Hybrid 2-litre 4cyl Boxer petrol, permanent magnet AC synchronous electric motor, CVT, AWD SUV)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.995 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders, horizontally opposed
Maximum Power: 110 kW @ 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque: 196 Nm @ 4000 rpm
Fuel Type: Petrol 91 RON
Combined Fuel Cycle (ADR 81/02): 6.5 L/100km
Carbon dioxide: 147 g/km
Electric motor: Permanent magnet AC synchronous motor
Maximum Power: 12.3 kW
Maximum Torque: 66 Nm
DRIVELINE: Lineartronic continuously variable, all-wheel drive
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4465 mm
Wheelbase: 2665 mm
Width: 1800 mm
Height: 1595 mm (with roof rails)
Turning Circle: 10.8 metres
Kerb Mass: 1576 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 480 litres
BRAKES:
Front: Ventilated disc
Rear: Ventilated disc
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Five years / unlimited kilometres
XV SPARKS MOVE TO SUBARU EV FUTURE
Subaru has taken the first steps – albeit small ones – to an all-electric automobile future with the XV and Forester models in petrol / electric hybrid form on sale in Australia. It has chosen its best-selling sports utility vehicles to introduce its plans for at least 40 per cent of all sales be made up of electric vehicles and hybrids by 2030.
In a tie-up with Toyota, with whom it shared development of the BRZ / Toyota 86 sports cars, Subaru says it plans to reduce its ‘well to wheel’ emissions (from sourcing raw materials to manufacturing a complete car) before the year 2050 by 90 per cent compared with 2010 levels.
The Subaru SUVs feature identical petrol / electric engines, with the XV Hybrid, Subaru claiming, a 14 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency over equivalent petrol variants in the urban cycle and more than 7 per cent in the combined cycle, while Forester offers improvement of more than 19 per cent in the urban cycle and over 9 per cent in the combined cycle, compared to 2.5-litre petrol variants.
Subaru is the first to admit it comes to the electric vehicle segment from a low level, with Subaru Australia managing director, Colin Christie saying: “With the launch into showrooms across Australia, we can see small but important opportunities to enter a growing space in which Subaru will have an increasing presence in the not too distant future, with a variety of increasingly sophisticated and efficient hybrid – and later electric – vehicles.”
The single-model XV Hybrid AWD, the test vehicle, sells for $35,580, plus on-road costs. This compares with $29,240 for the entry-level petrol-only XV and $36,530 for the range-topping petrol 2.0i-S model.
It comes under Subaru’s five-year unlimited kilometre warranty. The lithium-ion battery is covered for eight years or 160,000 kilometres. A 12-month / 12,500 km capped price service plan also applies.
STYLING
Nothing (almost) to see here. Based on the Subaru Global Platform, there’s little exterior difference with the petrol-only XV. It shares all outside dimensions but height, which is 20 mm less due to skinnier roof rails.
Like the entry-level XV petrol, the Hybrid has halogen headlamps and 17-inch alloy wheels. It doesn’t have a spare wheel to make way for the under-floor battery. Instead there’s a repair kit.
However, for those owners wishing conspicuously to parade their environmentally friendly credentials the XV Hybrid sports e-Boxer badges prominently on its flanks and is available in a unique optional colour of Lagoon Blue Pearl.
INTERIOR
Inside, it’s a mixed bag of equipment and decor. Leather has been stripped from firm, yet supportive, seats in favour of a charcoal ‘Premium’ material covering with contrasting orange stitching.
Carbon fibre-look highlights add a touch of sportiness to surroundings, while there is no lack of information on offer to the occupants from a multitude of screens up front.
Rear seats offer good room and the fold-down centre armrest incorporates two cup holders. The area falls short with the lack of air vents and charging points.
The boot measures up with 345 litres of room, which expands to 919 litres with the rear seat backs folded.
INFOTAINMENT
Where to look? That’s the question for the driver seeking info. A 6.5-inch centrally located touchscreen is complemented with a secondary 6.3-inch LCD screen perched above on the dashboard top displaying a string of information including climate control, fuel consumption, trip stats, audio info, and EyeSight functions.
Much of this, and more, is repeated on a 4.2-inch screen between the analogue dials in front of the driver behind the steering wheel.
ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS
The e-Boxer hybrid system is a combination of a four-cylinder 2.0-litre horizontally opposed petrol engine producing 110 kW of power at 6000 rpm and 196 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm linked via Motor Assist to a high voltage lithium ion battery.
The electric motor produces 12.3 kW of power and 66 Nm of torque, and is self-charging, via kinetic energy from regenerative braking and coasting.
The system automatically changes between three modes – Motor Assist EV driving, Motor Assist electric plus petrol engine driving, and petrol engine driving.
Subaru’s Lineartronic continuously variable transmission is mated with the e-Boxer system
SAFETY
As with the entire Subaru new vehicle range, all hybrid variants have a five-star rating for occupant safety from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program.
When driving in fully electric mode (both forward and reverse), the Pedestrian Alert system emits a sound, to warn people close by. The system operates when the vehicle speed is 24 km/h or less.
The XV Hybrid features Subaru’s innovative EyeSight driver assist, featuring pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, pre-collision throttle management, lead vehicle start alert, lane departure warning and lane keep assist.
DRIVING
I have no argument with Subaru’s claim that the direct injection petrol engine, Motor Assist and battery combination produce smooth, linear and responsive acceleration.
I do query some of the maker’s XV e-Boxer Hybrid’s performance claims. For example, depending upon driving environment, vehicle and battery condition, it says the system can operate in fully electric mode up to 40 km/h. Yet, from rest, the test vehicle rarely reached double-figure speeds without the petrol motor chipping in.
At medium speeds, combined power from both the electric and petrol engine produce responsive, linear and fuel-efficient acceleration.
At high speed, the Boxer petrol engine exclusively powers the vehicle, while regenerative braking or coasting with foot off the accelerator, recharges the lithium ion battery.
Under certain driving conditions above 40 km/h, when decelerating or coasting and the battery is charging, the petrol engine can turn off, achieving fuel saving. As soon as the accelerator is pressed, the engine will re-start.
Fuel consumption for the XV Hybrid is put by the maker at 6.5 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined urban / highway cycle. The test vehicle came up with 5.1 litres per 100 kilometres in CBD and suburbs, and 8.6 litres per 100 kilometres on the motorway.
On the bitumen active torque vectoring had the XV Hybrid turning in with quick response and control, while lane keeping assist and reverse automatic braking when parking underlined the car’s five-star safety rating.
Noise and vibration were kept to a minimum, while the four-cylinder engine was refined in its power delivery. The CVT worked smoothly and without fuss across a very wide range of ratios.
Motor Assist enhances X-Mode off-road capability, through better low speed torque control. During a stop-off in a quarry X-Mode and hill descent control were given an extensive work-out on treacherous inclines, without undue stress to vehicle and driver.
SUMMING UP
Subaru has set the bar low in its debut with the XV Hybrid on its way to an all-electric vehicle future and there’s still a fair way to go in the advantages the genre brings to the environment and hip pocket.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
Subaru XV e-Boxer Hybrid AWD: $35,580
Note: This price does not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your local Subaru dealer for drive-away price.
SPECIFICATIONS (Subaru XV Hybrid 2-litre 4cyl Boxer petrol, permanent magnet AC synchronous electric motor, CVT, AWD SUV)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.995 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders, horizontally opposed
Maximum Power: 110 kW @ 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque: 196 Nm @ 4000 rpm
Fuel Type: Petrol 91 RON
Combined Fuel Cycle (ADR 81/02): 6.5 L/100km
Carbon dioxide: 147 g/km
Electric motor: Permanent magnet AC synchronous motor
Maximum Power: 12.3 kW
Maximum Torque: 66 Nm
DRIVELINE: Lineartronic continuously variable, all-wheel drive
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4465 mm
Wheelbase: 2665 mm
Width: 1800 mm
Height: 1595 mm (with roof rails)
Turning Circle: 10.8 metres
Kerb Mass: 1576 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 480 litres
BRAKES:
Front: Ventilated disc
Rear: Ventilated disc
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Five years / unlimited kilometres
