Subaru, the auto manufacturing division of Japanese conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), has announced the launch of its new compact crossover Subaru XV Crosstrek, which is based on the new Impreza hatchback. As of now, the new crossover will be solely launched in USA as the buyers there are showing immense interest in this segment. Initially, XV Crosstrek was unveiled as a concept at the New York International Auto Show in April this year.
The latest offering from the Subaru group, 2013 XV Crosstrek, will house a 2.0 litre 4-cylinder Subaru Boxer engine, which will be coupled with a 5-speed manual transmission or Lineartronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) system with paddle shifters. The CVT feature will not be present in base model, but will be available as a part of standard accessory in the limited edition variant. Designed on an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) chassis, the engine will churn out an impressive 148 bhp of peak power output, which is quite impressive in this segment.
Reportedly, the new XV Crosstrek's premium model will be offered with a price tag of $ 21,995 (Rs. 12.25 lacs) and the limited edition variant will be available for $ 24,495 (Rs. 13.64 lacs), all prices being exclusive of the destination fee.
Coming to Indian compact crossover market, which is currently beaming with multiple options with all major brands eyeing market dominance, a new crossover like XV Crosstrek within a price bracket of Rs. 12-13 lacs could be an exciting addition. Moreover, the Boxer engine employed in XV Crosstrek is not an alien concept to the Indian markets, as previously introduced Chevrolet Forestor was marketed in India with a Boxer engine when Subaru and General Motors were together.
The Indian compact crossover market is currently the most aggressive segment with many crowd pullers, including Mahindra XUV500 and Renault Duster, among others. Feeling the heat, several other auto makers are also planning to introduce their model in the same segment like Ford has planned to introduce its EcoSport, while Mahindra seems to play big with its Quanto.
The incredible increase in popularity and demand in the compact crossover segment has dubbed it to be the most competitive among the Indian auto market. The addition of Subaru XV Crosstrek will be a thing to look forward and its Indian launch could not be wiped off straight away due to the rising market sentiments over compact crossovers. In all respects, Indian car enthusiasts will be watching the rise Subaru XV Crosstrek closely and will be hoping the car to soon hit the Indian shores.
