‘SUV of the year’ accolade for Subaru XV

Subaru UK has announced that its compact crossover, the Subaru XV, has been named ‘SUV of the Year’ by 4×4 Magazine. Putting the XV through its paces, both on- and off-road, 4×4 Magazine crowned the XV its class winner in one of the hardest-fought categories in a special ‘4×4 of the Year’ issue. The SUV market has expanded rapidly in recent years with the proliferation of compact crossovers, and 4×4 Magazine placed Subaru’s latest All-Wheel Drive model ahead of key rivals from Audi, Kia, Mazda, Nissan and Volkswagen. The judging panel, comprised of members of the magazine’s editorial team, praised the XV’s ‘enjoyable’ and ‘involving’ drive, fuel economy and off-road ability. Subaru’s industry-leading customer service package, Everything Taken Care of (ETCo), also helped tip the balance in the Subaru’s favour. Commenting on the XV’s svictory, Nigel Fryatt, Editor, 4×4 Magazine, said: “The SUV class in 4×4 Magazine’s 4×4 of the Year test is one of the most competitive. The Subaru XV was an interesting new arrival in that class, which did much to impress judges. “For a vehicle which obviously spends most of its time on-road, it is such an enjoyable drive, involving the driver in a positive manner. It also boasts promising fuel economy potential. When we took it off-road, given the obvious limitations of ground clearance, the Subaru completed our test route with ease. But what clinched it for the XV was Subaru’s Everything Taken Care of customer service package, which has to be one of the best around.” The Subaru XV range starts at £21,295 on the road and is available with 1.6 petrol manual or CVT, 2.0 petrol manual or CVT and 2.0D manual options. To find out more about the Subaru XV, visit www.subaru.co.uk, or read the full 4×4 Magazine report. From Motorin News