Subaru XV debuts with Boxer turbodiesel engine (photos)

Subaru has pulled the wraps off of the production version of its upcoming XV crossover for the European market. The automaker emphasizes that the XV should offer much easier entrance and egress than any previous crossover in its lineup thanks to its lower floor and doorsills and less severe A-pillar angle.

The XV will be available with either a 1.6-liter, 113-horsepower gasoline engine or 2.0-liter, 148-horsepower engine. There is, however, a third option: the 2.0-liter boxer turbodiesel that outputs 144 horsepower, but at 258 pound feet of twist is nearly 75 percent torquier than the largest of the two gasoline engines.

The XV will be available in two trim levels--a standard version and a high-grade option--with three different cabin tech packages. There's a four-speaker system, a six-speaker system with Bluetooth and iPod/USB connectivity, and a navigation option that adds traffic, Bluetooth audio streaming and text messaging, voice command, and video playback.

Gasoline-powered XVs can be had with either a five- or six-speed manual transmission (depending on whether you've chosen the 1.6- or 2.0-liter engine, respectively) or a new chain-driven CVT with optional paddle shifters. The turbodiesel is only available with a manual gearbox with custom ratios to optimized for its high-torque, low-rev nature. All XVs will send power to all four wheels via Subaru's symmetrical all-wheel-drive system.

Look closely and you'll see hints of the Impreza hatchback's roofline and the Legacy's front end--this sort of mixing and matching of bits of existing vehicles is no new trick for Subaru. However, the XV is taller (both absolutely and proportionately) than either of those vehicles.

The XV is able to seat up to five passengers and carry up to 44 cubic feet of whatever you choose to fill its rear hatch.