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twisty undulating roads , dodging road hazards .
How did Subaru dodge the negatives associated with a high ground clearance car ? The answer lies under the hood . Unlike conventional cars , Subaru ’ s trademark “ boxer ” engine configuration has two pairs of pistons firing away from each other , length wise rather than vertically .
This allows the 2-litre naturally aspirated FB series engine to be mounted lower , granting the XV a lower centre gravity , which pays dividends in greatly improved handling and stability .
Tight roads and heavy traffic limited our driving speed but in between short spurts of acceleration , with four adults on board , the XV gave us enough confidence that it could bring us through any power demanding situations .
The Lineartronic continuously variable transmission , like all
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CVTs , requires some getting used to . Shifting was smooth with some of the characteristic rubber band effect noted , but it didn ’ t respond very well in throttle over-runs , even on a flat surface . Coming off a descent , lifting off the throttle to moderate speed , there was a tendency for the transmission to hold its ratio a little longer than necessary , resulting in some jerking .
At one point , our group stopped at Sanur beach . Save for a small group of surfers at another end , the volcanic black sand covered beach looked inviting for some adolescent hooligan driving , made under the pretext of a photo opportunity shoot .
Looking at the tarmac biased 225 / 55 R17 Continental Conti Max Contact MC5 tyres fitted to our test cars , we weren ’ t too sure about climbing ourselves down the steep incline leading to the beach , but one group was brave enough to try it anyway .
A few sprints up and down the beach later , it was time to return to the tarmac . Climbing up the exit stretch , one of the cars had its front wheels dug deep into the soft hand .
The vehicle was quickly freed by momentarily rocking the car into reverse , mashing the throttle and letting the Subaru Symmetrical AWD system sort the traction out .
Power was transferred away from the offending wheel to the rear that still had traction , some manly clanking mechanical noise from the locking differential later and the XV was roaring up the sandy incline .
It was not the drama that we had hoped for but unless you are planning an assault on the Rainforest Challenge , using the system is a no-brainer , but is more than capable to deal with
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light off-roading .
Inside , our Indonesian specifications car comes with headrest mounted rear entertainment system that is not available in the Malaysian market models .
The reason for the omission is because cars in this category are typically chauffeur driven in Indonesia . The feature is less appreciated by Malaysian customers and frankly , we think customers are better off saving on the extra cost and buying themselves a pair of iPads and a set of mounting accessories instead , which are far more flexible and practical .
Inside the cabin , there is a good mixture of soft-touch materials lining the dashboard and upper door panels , and durable harder resistance plastics at the lower sections . It is a good combination that would survive many years of abuse by irritable pre-schoolers . Other minor attention to details like dampened action
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glovebox release and a very well put together interior lend it a hint of upper-class ambitions to the XV .
Our only major gripe is the relatively small boot space , however Motor Image assured that Malaysian models will come with a slightly bigger boot , courtesy of a space saver spare wheel .
Our test cars were retrofitted with a higher boot floor to accommodate a full size spare wheel , in anticipation of the poor road conditions that we were likely to encounter .
Kitted with an extensive list of features , excellent cabin space and ride comfort , with a price tag that undercuts many other traditional favourites , the XV deserves to be at the top of your consideration list .
The Subaru badge may need a little bit of convincing to buy into , but rest be assured that it is a very well established Japanese brand with over 55 years of history .
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