Posted Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at 11:23pm
Once upon a time, there was a modest little Subaru called the Outback Sport. A derivative of the first-generation “just like punk, ’cept it’s cars” Impreza, the Sport existed until 2011, when Fuji’s heavies sent the not-the-same-as-a-real-Outback name off to Paul Hogan’s big backyard in Australia. Its replacement, the XV Crosstrek, hit our shores for the 2013 model year, offering rad wheels and interesting colors. Name games aside, it was the same thing, a pseudo-crossover Impreza offering a boxer engine, a continuously variable automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive.
People who like bicycles and dogs bought them. Presumably aiming to court people who really like bicycles and dogs, Subie built a fairly pointless hybrid version that is most memorable for having been launched, and heavily photographed, in Iceland. It lasted three model years. Now, hot on the heels of the latest Impreza sedan and hatch, comes the new Crosstrek. Except that it’s an XV. Because more name games.
