2023 Subaru Crosstrek price and specs: XV replacement up to $3000 dearer

The new 2023 Subaru Crosstrek – the replacement for the Subaru XV – is due in Australian showrooms in April, priced up to $3000 higher than before.

The Crosstrek – a name offered on the XV in North America for a decade, but now standard globally – introduces a new look, more modern technology and improved safety systems to Subaru’s smallest SUV.

But the petrol engines and hybrid systems have been carried over from the previous model – and prices have risen by between $1800 and $3000, depending on model grade.

The price of entry into the Subaru XV/Crosstrek range is $5300 higher than it was a year ago – after the base-model XV 2.0i was axed and two price rises were applied to the outgoing XV range last year.

At the end of 2021, the entry-level XV 2.0i was priced from $29,690 plus on-road costs – but its axing made the better-equipped $31,990 2.0i-L the cheapest model grade, before two price increases pushed it up to $33,190 before on-road costs.

Five model variants – across three equipment levels and two engine choices – are available for the new Crosstrek, with pre-orders open now through the Subaru Australia website.

The engines are carried over from the XV: a 2.0-litre non-turbo four-cylinder petrol in most models, developing an unchanged 115kW and 196Nm, or a 2.0-litre non-turbo petrol hybrid system with 110kW/196Nm outputs from the engine.

All-wheel drive is standard across the range, along with a continuously-variable automatic transmission (CVT) – but the CVT in petrol models has been upgraded with an eight-speed manual mode (compared to seven simulated gear ratios in the hybrid).

Claimed fuel consumption in mixed driving is unchanged for the hybrid, at 6.5L/100km – but has actually increased for the petrol model, from 7.0 to 7.2L/100km.

Prior testing by Drive has found Toyota hybrid cars use about half the fuel of regular petrol-powered variants – but any real-world improvements in fuel economy from Subaru hybrid models have been marginal, and hard to measure.

Standard features in the entry-level Crosstrek AWD 2.0L include LED headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, an 11.6-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, cloth seats, proximity key entry and start, nine airbags, and a full suite of advanced safety technology.

The 2.0R petrol model – which replaces the 2.0i Premium in the outgoing XV range – adds features including 18-inch alloys, upgraded LED headlights, a power driver’s seat, heated front seats, leather steering wheel, 360-degree camera, and auto high-beam functionality.

The flagship 2.0S and Hybrid S are exclusively fitted with leather seats, embedded satellite navigation, a 10-speaker Harman Kardon premium stereo, and an electric sunroof.

The 2023 Subaru Crosstrek is due in Australian showrooms in April. The related new-generation Impreza hatchback is due by the end of this year.

Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs.

Compared to the Hybrid L, the Hybrid S adds the features introduced with the 2.0R and 2.0S.