KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 — The new 2016 Subaru XV was launched today by motor Image Malaysia.

It offers a new front mask, but what is more important is the enhancements to interior features, plus an optimised drive train to make driving it more enjoyable.

In the past couple of years since the first XV has been launched, we have been seeing more and more of these SUV’s on our roads, and the new model will certainly keep the trend going.

There are two variants, the 2.0i, and 2.0i Premium, priced very competitively at RM121,000 and RM125,000 (before GST, without insurance, registration fee and road tax). Customers have six colour options.

The Subaru XV range comes with a 2.0 litre boxer (horizontally opposed 4-cylinder) engine producing a respectable 150PS and 196Nm of torque.

Drive is to all wheels, a tradition Subaru has adhered to for many years, and this is something the people at Subaru are very passionate about and they believe that all-wheel drive is the answer to safer motoring on account of the fact that it does provide superior traction over a vehicle that only has one driven axle.

Despite the all-wheel drive system, the XV is claimed to achieve 7.9 litre per 100 km.

Power is transferred to the 17-inch alloy wheels through a CVT, which includes a set of paddle shifters mounted on and  behind the steering wheel

Safety-wise, other than the fact that it already is a notch up with its Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, the XV also comes standard with Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC), which we should read as traction control, and five star rating in JNCAP, Euro NCAP, Australia NCAP and Asean NCAP.

There are the usual front SRS airbags, with an additional knee bag for the driver.

4-channel ABS system comes as standard equipment. The pedal system is designed to collapse during a heavy collision for safety reasons.

In terms of ride, the XV promises to deliver more than its competitors, on account of its MacPherson strut suspension at the front, backed by a double wishbone arrangement at the rear.

The XV also comes with many built in features, not the gimmicky type, but really useful and practical features, such as a tilt/adjustable steering wheel (good for getting that perfect driving position), automatic air-conditioning (which some more expensive cars do not even have), split and folding rear seats for additional versatility, and a space saver spare tyre.

The Premium gets a retractable cargo cover, touch screen Multi-function Display, USB and AUX input jacks, LED Daytime Running lights, LED Wing Mirror, Premium Audio with speakers, a very useful rear view camera, Smart Entry and Push Button start, aluminium pedals, and a power adjustable driver’s seat.

I have driven the previous model before, and actually found it to be quite decent, and economical too. The new one looks great and promises to be better – and given that there is a mere RM5K difference in price, it sure looks like the Premium is the one to go for if you consider all the extras that come with it.

We have been promised a test car in the very near future — stay tuned for our test report.