Subaru XV (Crosstrek) review: a small crossover with a big car's ground clearance
motorssouq Editorial Team
The XV is the sensible entry point into Subaru ownership in Bahrain: it costs and runs closer to a compact hatchback than an SUV, but it keeps the 220 mm of clearance and standard AWD that actually justify the raised body. Buy the grade with EyeSight — it is standard across the range, so there is no reason to look at a stripped trim — and treat the modest 152 hp as the price of admission for a car that is genuinely more capable off tarmac than its size suggests.
Pros
- 220 mm ground clearance identical to the much larger Forester
- Standard Symmetrical AWD and EyeSight driver-assist across the whole range
- Genuinely composed handling for a tall small car thanks to the low-mounted flat-four
- Compact footprint that is easy to park in Manama while still tackling rough back roads
- Realistic 7.2 L/100 km fuel economy despite the AWD system
Cons
- 152 hp is modest and the CVT works hard on inclines or overtaking
- Smaller Subaru dealer and parts network than Korean or mainstream Japanese rivals
- Rear seat and boot space trail a Seltos or Kona of similar footprint
- Resale value rewards Subaru loyalists more than the general used-car buyer
The XV sits below the Forester in Subaru's Bahrain lineup, built on the same platform philosophy at a smaller scale: a raised hatchback body with 220 mm of ground clearance — identical to the much larger Forester — a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated flat-four, and standard Symmetrical AWD. The result is a genuinely small footprint for city parking with a stance that shrugs off a rutted farm track or a beach access road most compact crossovers would think twice about.
152 hp is modest, and at 1,420 kg the CVT has to work for its living on any kind of incline or overtaking manoeuvre — this is not a car for buyers who want to feel urgency. What it does deliver is genuinely composed handling for a tall small car, helped by the low-mounted flat-four engine keeping the centre of gravity down, and a ride that absorbs Bahrain's rougher back streets better than its size suggests.
Where it fits in Bahrain
The XV's real audience here is a buyer cross-shopping a Kia Seltos or a Hyundai Kona who wants the extra reassurance of standard AWD and genuine ground clearance rather than a crossover in name only. EyeSight, Subaru's camera-based driver-assist suite, comes standard across the range — unusual generosity at this size and price point, and genuinely useful on the monotonous stretch of highway toward the Saudi border.
The trade-off for that capability is the familiar Subaru one: a smaller Bahrain dealer network than the Korean or mainstream Japanese brands, and a resale market that rewards Subaru loyalists more than it rewards the badge-conscious general buyer.