Subaru XV VS Holden Equinox
Subaru XV
Likes
- Excellent cabin fit and finish
- Great to drive
- Advanced safety tech
Dislikes
- Not much more fuel efficient than the petrol version
- Pricey
- Small display screen
Holden Equinox
Likes
Dislikes
Summary
Subaru XV
The idea of a hybrid version of Subaru’s small XV SUV seems to make complete sense – this is a car that probably spends most of its time in traffic but is owned by people who might like to head down a dirt track occasionally. And if it can somehow manage to give off a green glow as well, that could only be a bonus.
But can it actually do all those things? That's the question I’m here to answer, with a bit of real-world testing.
The answer is not a simple yes or no, I'm afraid, because the experience was mostly positive, yet in some ways, I was left wanting more. Allow me to explain.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.0L |
| Fuel Type | Hybrid with Regular Unleaded |
| Fuel Efficiency | 6.5L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Holden Equinox
Make no bones about it; the new Holden Equinox is a very important car for the Holden brand going forward. The medium SUV is dropping into an ultra-competitive, an ultra-popular segment of the Australian marketplace, and it really needs to bring its A-game in order to compete on level terms with incumbents like Mazda's CX-5, the Volkswagen Tiguan and Nissan's X-Trail.
We're also interested to see how the car does in the day-to-day role as an adventure vehicle. Can it cut the mustard when it comes to competing with the best in the class?
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.0L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Premium Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 8.4L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Verdict
Subaru XV7.3/10
Well this is awkward. On one hand the XV Hybrid is excellent and on the other it’s… not.
It’s great to drive on and off the road, the fit and finish of the cabin are superb and the safety tech is outstanding. On the other, the value for money isn’t good when you consider that it’s almost the most expensive XV, but still doesn’t have sat nav, dual-zone climate control, nor the larger display.
And then there’s the fuel economy. Even if we had matched the 6.5L/100km Subaru says we should get, the saving is a mere 500ml for every 100km compared to a straight-petrol XV. The plug-in hybrid version of the XV, as sold in the United States, can get about 2.6L/100km. Now that type of hybrid XV would make far more sense.
Holden Equinox6.5/10
The Equinox is a box jump in front of the old-school Captiva… but we wonder if it’s enough to stay up with current crop of medium SUVs. Its adventure chops, too, are restricted to light gravel and snow work, though its sheer capacity for luggage stands it in good stead.
Has the Holden Equinox made enough of a jump to get onto your consideration list? Let us know below.
Design
Subaru XV
That Lagoon Blue paint. As mentioned above it’s only available on the hybrid and in the metal the colour is so stunning and different that right now from my desk I can see people rubber necking at it parked out the front of my house. The hue, combined with the ‘e-boxer’ badges, makes for an intriguing package, which, from where I sit, is generating a stack of interest. That was always Subaru’s intention, I guess.
Other hybrid-only design features include the frosted silver elements around the fog lights, the slim-line roof rails and, of course, those ‘e-boxer’ badges.
Those are the only styling differences between the Hybrid and the other XV family members.
Not having the chunky roof racks means the overall height is 20mm lower, at 1595mm, but the rest of the dimensions are the same as a regular XV, at 4465mm long and 1800mm wide. Â
The XV is a small SUV, but larger than most of its rivals – it’s about 200mm longer than a Honda H-RV, and similar in size to a Kia Seltos or Nissan Qashqai. That said, its cargo capacity isn’t the best – but more on that in the Practicality section below.
We’re just talking about appearances here and the XV hybrid is cute and angry looking at the same time, with its Pokémon-like face.
Nothing has changed about the overall exterior styling since this new-gen XV was introduced in 2017. And that goes for the interior, too, which is a highlight of this SUV.
There’s no other small SUV in the price range with a cabin that feels this good – the craftsmanship is superb, the fit and finish is excellent and the materials (even the plastics) feel gorgeous. I never use the word gorgeous, but you won’t find a more comfortable and luxurious cabin this side of a Lexus.
That said, the small display screen lets things down, and so does the featureless hard plastic on the back of the centre console, which stares at the rear passengers.  Â
Holden Equinox
While Holden was able to have some influence on the nose and tail treatment, you’re looking at a Detroit special that’s meant to do business in all four corners of the world. It’s inoffensive enough... but inoffensive may not be enough in such a hard-fought retail space.Â
Traces of GM’s dalliance with split grilles remain, but thankfully it’s underplayed, while the side profile still allows for plenty of light to get into the cabin.
Inside, it’s better than the long-serving Captiva... but again, it’s a tough space, and the Equinox needs to able to compete against resolved, confident interior spaces from the likes of Mazda and Volkswagen. It’s more shapely and stylish, sure, but it already feels a couple of years old... and the Equinox will be with us for some time yet.
Read More: Holden Equinox reviews
Practicality
Subaru XV
To sum things up, room for people is good but the cargo capacity is not. That means I can sit behind my driving position, even though I’m 191cm tall, with about 15cm to spare between my knees and the seatback. Headroom is fine for me, too.
Boot space, however, is 345 litres, which sounds like it could be a lot but when you consider the Honda HR-V has a 437-litre cargo capacity and the Kia Seltos has 433 litres of luggage space, it’s clear the XV’s boot isn’t very big.
Cabin storage isn’t so bad, though, with a big centre console bin, two cup holders up front and two more in the rear fold-down armrest, plus bottle holders in the doors. The hidey hole in front of the shifter is showing its age because my phone was too large to fit into it sideways, but there are other little nooks to store your things in.
Parents should know that the XV Hybrid doesn’t have directional air vents for those in the back seats, but the dark-tinted rear windows were a welcome feature whenever we had our five-year-old back there.
The hybrid has three USB ports – two for charging in the centre console bin and one for media under the dashboard. Need a 12V outlet? There are two.
Holden Equinox
You'll find five seats aboard the medium-sized Equinox SUV, and there’s no third-row option available in this particular shape. The US-designed and Mexican-built Equinox presents well enough when you jump aboard, with plenty of subtle and not so subtle curves, creases and folds adorning the front of the cabin.Â
The ergonomics in current Holdens aren’t quite as resolved as they once were, given that its cars are now plucked from other markets rather than being designed from the wheels up for local use. The Equinox, for example, is sold in several other markets and this does lead to knock-on ergonomic differences as GM attempts to create a one-size-fits-most profile.Â
For example, the indicator and wiper stalks are awkwardly positioned behind the steering wheel. The steering wheel itself is oddly parallelogrammed in its profile, and its very thick rim makes it more difficult for small hands to get comfortable with it.Â
The seats themselves are very short in the base, too, and don't offer a lot in the way of lateral support. They’re also mounted high in the Equinox, pushing drivers and passengers towards the roof, while the sunroof that's fitted to the LTZ-V drops the headlining down to uncomfortably low levels, both front and rear, for taller occupants.
Luggage space is an excellent 846 litres, which beats the CX-5, Tiguan, Nissan’s X-Trail and Mitsubishi’s Outlander.
Both front and rear seaters are treated to heated and vented seats, while the second row can be dropped with the tug on the lever in the boot area. However, we found it necessary to pull out the weirdly large centre seat headrest in order to get an almost-flat cargo area of some 1798 litres (or one large mountain bike with wheels on) to work with.Â
Second rowers get a pair of USB ports and a 12-volt charging point, and even though there’s a 230v household socket in the rear of centre console, we couldn't actually make it work with an Australian-spec plug.Â
The door pockets are very small, and the front doors can only hold bottles in reality. It’s a similar story for the rear. There's a map pocket behind the passenger seat, but not behind the driver. There are two cupholders in a centre fold-down armrest, and there are also ISOFIX baby seat mounts on the outside seats.
A space-saver spare wheel resides under the boot floor, under what has to be noted as quite poorly executed plastic trimming.Â
When it comes to rear seat occupants, three can sit across the second row quite comfortably, although as mentioned, rear headroom is a little compromised for taller passengers thanks to the sunroof.Â
Price and features
Subaru XV
The XV Hybrid lists for $35,580, which makes it the second-most expensive XV in the line-up, sitting just under the top-of-range $36,530 2.0i-S. The thing is, the Hybrid doesn’t come with nearly as much equipment as the 2.0i-S, and that’s why it loses value-for-money marks in this review.
Standard features range from the disappointing - like the 6.5-inch touch screen, single-zone climate control and halogen headlights - to the impressive; adaptive cruise control, rear privacy glass and proximity unlocking. The Hybrid also scores the same advanced safety tech as the 2.0i-S, which I’ll go into more detail about in the Safety section below.
Other standard features include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, shifting paddles, X-Mode drive setting, rear-view camera, six-speaker stereo, digital radio, CD player, premium cloth upholstery, roof rails and rain-sensing wipers.
Only the hybrid comes in the Lagoon Blue colour our car wore, and it’s a no-cost option. Good.
How does the XV Hybrid compare with rivals on price? Well, apart from the Toyota C-HR Koba hybrid, there aren’t any other small hybrid SUV rivals. But ask yourself: why are you buying the XV Hybrid? If it’s for ‘green efficiency’ then you really need to skip to the section on fuel economy, because the amount of fuel you’ll save could shock you, and not in a good way.
If it’s for the all-wheel-drive system then you should know that all XVs have all-wheel drive.
Frankly the biggest rival, apart from the C-HR, comes from within – the XV 2.0i Premium, which is $33,420 and is better equipped and boasts excellent fuel economy. A small SUV comparison wouldn’t be complete without the segment’s benchmark – the Kia Seltos, and its Sport + grade with AWD lists for $35,490.
Holden Equinox
The Equinox LTZ-V is offered here with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and part-time AWD transmission, along with GM’s excellent nine-speed automatic gearbox.
The LTZ-Z tops the tree for the Equinox range, and sells from $46,290 plus on-roads. Compare that to the CX-5 Akera at $46,290 and the VW Tiguan 162TSI Sportline at $45,990, and you get the idea of how competitive the space is.
There’s plenty of gear aboard the LTZ-V, including Holden’s MyLink infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto mirroring and sat nav, automatic lights and wipers, LED headlight, DRLs and taillights, leatherette seats that are vented and heated front and rear, an inductive phone charger, Bose six-speaker audio, active cabin noise equalisation, dual-zone climate control with rear vents and four USB ports.
Standard safety kit includes AEB with forward collision alert, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist, roll over mitigation, front and rear parking sensors and auto high beam.
The LTZ-V rides on 19-inch alloys.
Under the bonnet
Subaru XV
The XV Hybrid has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine under the bonnet (making 110kW and 196Nm) and built into the transmission is an electric motor (making 12.3kW and 66Nm). The batteries are under the boot floor and they’re charged through energy captured during braking, which is then turned into electricity.
The transmission is an automatic called a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). I’m not a fan of CVTs because they tend to take all the oomph out of acceleration, but Subaru’s version is one of the best and the addition of the electric motor gives nice little nudges while driving that the straight-petrol XV doesn’t offer.
Holden Equinox
The 2.0-litre turbocharged four-potter is good for 188kW at 5500rpm, and a healthy 353Nm of torque from 2500-4500rpm. It’s actually the same engine Holden uses in the new Commodore – and like its sedan cousin, the Equinox also uses GM’s truly excellent nine-speed auto ’box.
It’s sold as an AWD, but unless you press the button on the dash, it’s a true front-driver; the rear axle is completely disconnected from the rest of the system in the interests of fuel saving.
Speaking of which, the Equinox demands a diet of 95 RON premium fuel, wich will add to running costs compared to some rivals which will happily accept cheaper 91 RON.
Efficiency
Subaru XV
Hybrids are all about saving fuel, but the XV Hybrid doesn’t use a lot less petrol than the regular XV, which makes you wonder what the point of it is. According to Subaru the XV Hybrid should use 6.5L/100km after a combination of open and urban roads, while under the same driving conditions the regular petrol version does almost as well at 7L/100km.
My own testing showed higher consumption. After 401.5km of motorways, urban commutes, city traffic, suburban runs, country twisty fun roads and even dirt and gravel tracks, I filled up with 37.51 litres, which comes to 9.3L/100km. The fuel tank in the hybrid is 48 litres and the trip computer told me I had a range of 90km left. The straight petrol XV has a 63-litre tank.
So, even if you use Subaru’s figures you’re saving 500ml per 100km, which comes to about 70c per 100km if 91 RON is about $1.40. Factor in the fact that the XV Hybrid costs $3970 more than the XV 2.0i-L and you’d have to drive more than 550,000km to make that difference in money back. Again, you have to ask, what is the point?
I’ve tested Toyota’s C-HR Hybrid and while it is only two-wheel drive the combined fuel economy is 4.3L/100km.
Subaru’s XV Hybrid needs to be way more fuel efficient for it to be a worthwhile hybrid vehicle. Â
Holden Equinox
Over a brief stretch of 210km of on-road driving, we logged a dash-indicated figure of 12.8 litres per 100km, against a combined fuel economy claim of 8.4L/100km.Â
Its 55-litre fuel tank needs premium unleaded fuel, and it has a theoretical range of just over 650km.
Driving
Subaru XV
I said in the video above that I think the XV is one of the best-handling small SUVs for the money and it’s true, even on twisty country roads the vehicle feels planted, with great body control. That’s thanks to well-sorted suspension and the boxer engine design, which lowers the centre of mass, making the car less ‘wobbly’ and more secure in the corners.
If it was just about driving, the XV Hybrid would be my pick out of the entire model range. That’s because I find the basics petrol version has lacklustre acceleration. The hybrid gets little shoves from the electric motor, making it better for moving quickly in traffic. Yep, while the electric motor is tiny and only supplies a small output, when it combines forces with the petrol the difference is noticeable compared to the petrol XV.
Like the petrol, the hybrid uses a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). The transmissions are the cause of the indequate acceleration I mentioned, but they seem to be perfectly suited to electric motors.
The entire XV line-up is all-wheel drive, and that includes the hybrid. This is not a four-wheel-drive system, which large off-road vehicles like the Toyota LandCruiser use, so I wouldn’t try to cross the Simpson Desert in an XV. Really the XV’s all-wheel drive is designed for on-road duties but occasional dirt and gravel tracks are fine, as long as you don’t get too wild. Still, it is truly one of the most sure-footed small SUVs for the price that I’ve driven, and the impressive 220mm of ground clearance will let you head down bumpy tracks that would tear the innards out of other small SUVs.
The X-mode function is activated by pressing a button and the throttle, transmission and drive to the wheels is managed automatically to maintain optimum traction.
Where the Hybrid is at a disadvantage against its fellow XV family members is in terms of towing. The braked towing capacity is 130kg less than a straight-petrol XV at 1270kg. Â
Holden Equinox
People are voting with their wallets and snapping up medium-sized SUVs in droves, in part because of the wagon shape, and also because of ease of use. The Equinox, unfortunately, lets itself down in this regard, thanks mainly to a turning circle that is frankly ludicrously big.Â
We initially suspected that perhaps the 11.4m turning circle was a result of fitting the vehicle with all-wheel drive, but every Equinox suffers from the same malady. It's a frustrating experience to turn into your regular carpark spot and find that you've missed it by a metre or more.
Holden's engineers have localised the feel and the ride of the Equinox, and they’ve done a very good job considering that the LTZ-V rides on 19-inch alloys. Well-tuned and matched shocks really soak up the small around-town bumps that are so common in urban environments. On the open road as well, the 1735kg Equinox is controlled, comfortable, and reasonably quiet, though it can wander at the helm a little unless you're keeping an eye on it, thanks to an overly light steering feel.
Safety
Subaru XV
Perhaps the best reason for buying the hybrid version of the XV is for its advanced safety tech. Only the XV Hybrid and the top-of-the-range 2.0i-S come with blind-spot monitoring, auto high beams, lane-changing assist, rear cross traffic alert and reverse AEB.
That’s in addition to what’s standard on all XVs, such as forward AEB, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, lane-sway alert, lead vehicle start and brake-light recognition.
The XV Hybrid also comes with adaptive cruise control.
A note about the reverse AEB – it works, really well and stopped me from backing into a tree while filming the video above.
The Subaru XV was given a five-star ANCAP safety rating when it was tested in 2017.
For child seats, you’ll find three top-tether anchor points and two ISOFX mounts across the rear row.
Despite all this incredible safety equipment you don’t get a spare tyre on the XV Hybrid – not even a space saver, as you do on the other grades. Instead, you get a puncture-repair kit, which consists of a tyre-inflation device and a type of sealant. I’ve had punctures before while driving cars from other brands and the repair kit didn’t fix the leak. For this reason, the XV hybrid is losing marks here – you can’t beat a real spare tyre, especially in Australia where distances are vast, towns are remote, the climate is extreme and a breakdown could be a life and death situation.
Holden Equinox
Standard safety in the Equinox is commendably high, and it has held a maximum five-star rating from ANCAP since December 2017. Six airbags, AEB with frontal collision and rear cross traffic alert are fitted as standard, while a haptic seat alert vibrates under your butt should you stray over a centre line or attempt to back into traffic, among other warnings.
Ownership
Subaru XV
The Subaru XV Hybrid is covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, while the battery for the electric motor is covered by an eight-year/160,000km warranty. There’s also a five-year/62,500km capped-price-servicing program. Servicing is recommended at 12 month/12,500km intervals, with the first capped at $350.25, the second at $588.31, the third at $354.83, the fourth at $784.77, and the fifth at $354.86 for a total of $2433.02 over the five years.
Holden Equinox
Holden increased its warranty duration in July 2018 to five years and unlimited kilometres, and five years of scheduled services will cost $1259, according to Holden’s fixed price service menu. Holden would like to see your Equinox every year of 12,000km.
Bear in mind the additional cost of premium unleaded, though.