Fun fact, that.īeing crossover-focused, the Focus crossover follows the now well-worn SUV trope of extra ground clearance (though just 30mm up front and 34mm out back), restyled bumpers, lined wheelarch lipstick, an off-road specific suspension tune, extra driving modes (that in Active alter transmission and traction software), distinct alloys brandishing beefier tyres, unique interior trim and roof rails. To recap, virtually nothing carries over from the previous Focus iterations, with an all-new C2 architecture that’s far stronger yet lighter and a striking body styled by a young Melburnian. Launched in mid 2019 – some two years after the G5X XV landed – the SA-series Active is nowadays an entry-level model in the fourth generation of Ford’s European small car range, alongside the ever-slightly cheaper (and Wheels comparison winner – see March, 2019 issue) ST-Line. It’s the wallflower from the Fatherland… please step on up, Ford Focus Active. Which raises an intriguing question: given the XV’s enduring popularity, why aren’t our roads clogged with jumped-up, plastic-clad and bigger-bumpered Mazda3, Toyota Corolla and Hyundai i30 crossover hatchbacks? Glossy bumpers and shiny alloys, anybody? And that sprang from the garish G2 Impreza RV variant sold in Oz from 2001 to 2007. That the Japanese marque has managed to make tens of thousands of Aussies believe the XV isn’t just an Impreza in stilettos is a feat in itself, because before the G4X ‘original’ that started it all in early 2012, the name debuted on a G3 Impreza grade two years earlier.
One of the unsung success stories of the last decade has been the Subaru XV.Ĭhunky, pretty and accessible, it regularly hits the top five on the small SUV charts, is the brand’s number two performer after Forester and accounts for about one-quarter of all Subaru sales.
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