2024 Subaru Crosstrek i-S Review | Philkotse Philippines

Subaru’s premier compact crossover saw a big name change when its latest version launched for the local market in 2023 for the 2024 model year. It transitioned from XV to Crosstrek thus aligning it with the global market.

2024 SUBARU Crosstrek | Philkotse Reviews

That said though, plenty of our colleagues in the motoring media have described the all-new model as something that didn’t evolve that much from its predecessor–a point which is concerning since the local crossover market is moving at warp speeds nowadays.

So the question now is, does the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek have what it takes to compete in the cutthroat crossover market in the Philippines? Is it worth its Php 2,018,000 asking price? We borrowed the Subaru Crosstrek 2.0 i-S for a week to find out.

Like its second-generation predecessor, the new Crosstrek retains the outdoorsy look previously established by the same nameplate even all the way back since its first-gen GP days.

Up front, it gets an aggressive amount of plastic cladding that stretches up to flank its black-colored grille. Its new LED headlamp clusters with integrated LED daytime running lamps look great, but I felt that it didn’t change that much from the previous second-gen model.

Like the old versions, the Crosstrek gets a generous smattering of black plastic claddings

Note that the headlights are steering responsive which allows the rays of light to follow your steering input. On top of that, it also has cornering lights, which can add illumination when one turns into a corner. These features function automatically, and it may get nutty at first if you’re used to tech-bare cars. It will, however, help immensely in navigating pitch-black parking lots or provincial roads.

As expected, its sides, particularly its fender flares and side skirts are lined with more black plastic cladding. Until the very present, some might find these to be visually off-putting, but they can stave away dings and scratches.

It's rear looks busier compared to its front end

Its rear meanwhile, gets an LED taillight with an interesting design. Unlike the plainer-looking front end, its rear gets more appeal thanks to the angular details on its rear bumper and faux diffuser.

Being positioned as a capable daily and a potential adventure vehicle, the Crosstrek gets plenty of exterior features. Up top, it comes with roof rails for more cargo space. I also appreciate the addition of rain-sensing wipers and a tilt-adjustable sunroof.

All-in-all, the Crosstrek isn’t a bad-looking ride. It might be far from sporty-looking, but I think it just about fits what Subaru is going for–an adventure-capable ride that won’t look too offputting on city roads.

Crosstrek from the side

Even its high-riding stance courtesy of its 230mm of ground clearance gives it an SUV-like road presence. But if there’s one thing to complain about its looks, is that the style of its 18-inch set of “machine-cut” black and silver wheels is getting quite old at this point. But, that’s just me.

Upon getting inside the Crosstrek’s front cabin, one will be bombarded with digital displays. There’s a huge one dominating the dashboard and another one between its analog gauges.

The Crosstrek's front cabin

A third display strip is likewise found on top of the central touchscreen display. This is all well and good in giving the car a premium feel, but it somewhat clashes with the fact that Subaru designed the Crosstrek’s cabin to be rugged-looking.

One clear example of this ruggedness is its dashboard. It looks decently shaped, but it is made entirely out of hard plastics. That’s quite disappointing considering the car’s price, but at least the interior door cards are soft. The vehicle also gets a piano black plastic trim piece around the shifter, which will get scratched up or dirty in no time.

On the flip side, I have nothing to complain about the arrangement of its controls. They are easy to find even for a first-time user, and the volume and tune knobs for the screen are most welcome. Some might prefer knobs for the dual-zone automatic air-conditioning as well, but its physical temperature toggle buttons worked well enough on the first try.

Second-row seats

Looking for one’s preferred driving position is also done easily on the Crosstrek. This is thanks to its 10-way power adjustable seat and its tilt and telescopic steering column. For your reference, I am 5’11” and wide around the gut, but despite that, I found the front seats rather comfortable.

Likewise comfortable for the test driver’s size is its rear cabin. There was plenty of room for legs and elbows, though a middle passenger might have some trouble with its transmission tunnel. The headroom in the second row was plentiful too.

For its cargo space, it gets a decent 291 liters of room with the second row up. That’s enough space for a week’s worth of groceries. Fold the rear seats down, and one gets 1,261 liters which is plenty for a couple of travel bags and even camping supplies.

It features a reasonably spacious trunk

As mentioned above, the Crosstrek gets plenty of screens. The one in the middle of its dash is an 11.6-inch display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

In using the large display, I experienced no lag or delays. Its interface was likewise easy to understand but the app icons were huge, which is strange. Connecting an Android phone wirelessly is also easily done with no hitches, and the same goes for iPhones.

A closer look at the Crosstrek's massive central touchscreen

On top of the nifty wireless connectivity features, this Subie also gets a wireless charging pad. That means that you no longer need to wrangle up charging cables inside this ride. But if one wants, it also has type C and type A USB ports, as well as a 12-volt outlet.

One downside to the screen though, is the fact that it is the only way to toggle some vehicle features. Its auto-hold feature, for instance, is integrated into the screen.

With this model being a Subaru, it gets plenty of active safety bits on top of its standard safety features. The one that I got to use a lot is the adaptive cruise control, which functioned well even on a very busy expressway. The lane centering function and lane departure prevention system were also unobtrusive.

Majority of its buttons are logically arranged

It likewise gets a pre-collision braking and autonomous emergency braking system. The latter two I didn’t get to use, of course, but those are nice to have for peace of mind.

Because of these systems, the Crosstrek uses plenty of cameras. In fact, there are three front-facing ones tucked inside the structure supporting the rear-view mirror. That’s great, but I found it baffling that the vehicle didn’t come with a 360-degree view camera.

Others might argue that its standard reverse camera is enough, but at this price point, many buyers will expect the more advanced and very convenient around-view monitor feature.

In any lighting condition, the gauge cluster is clearly visible

Other safety bits on the Crosstrek include a total of seven airbags, anti-lock braking, hill-descent control, vehicle dynamics control, ISOFIX child seat anchors, and automatic high beams, among others.

Propelling the Crosstrek is a 2.4-liter boxer-four gasoline engine that’s capable of outputting 153 horsepower and 196 Nm of torque. The engine is paired with Subaru’s Lineartronic continuous variant transmission (CVT) which sends power to all four wheels via the brand’s symmetrical all-wheel-drive system.

The Crosstrek's 2.0-liter boxer-four gasoline engine

In driving this Subie on busy in-city roads, it was pliant and pleasant to handle. Its steering feels direct, and I felt that it wasn’t bouncy even if it has a considerably high ride height. It likewise felt rock solid when taking on speed humps and road imperfections, but it does have some body roll on corners but even those were tolerable.

In terms of acceleration, it does rubber band a bit but that’s expected since it uses a CVT. Its paddle-shifter-controlled manual mode though, is effective in eliminating that via its responsiveness. It also feels fun to use especially during overtaking maneuvers on the highway.

It handles poorly maintained local roads without breaking a sweat

To temper expectations though, the car is far from a Subaru WRX so it won’t have a snappy acceleration from a standstill. In the city though, it was nimble enough to keep up with tinier hatchbacks, sedans, and city cars. On the highway, it can also keep up with diesel-powered SUVs, pickup trucks, and whatnot.

Noise, vibrations, and harshness were also staved off nicely by the Crosstrek’s interior. Some engine noise can still be heard during hard acceleration, but even then, I didn’t find the boxer mill’s sound jarring or disturbing.

With two passengers aboard, the Crosstrek returned an in-city fuel economy of 9.5 km/l while driving at an average speed of 25 km/h.

On the highway with two passengers, the Subaru crossover returned 14.5 km/l at an average speed of 90 km/h.

Compare those figures with the Honda HR-V V Turbo, which returned 11 km/l in the city, and 19.4 km/l on the highway.

So is the Crosstrek worth the money? There’s no clear-cut answer to this, but do remember that Subaru has been giving its rides the advanced driver-assist EyeSight system since 2008. By now, it has nearly perfected this suite as evidenced by its non-obtrusive lane keep assist and very responsive adaptive cruise control system. On that note, buyers who prioritize safety above everything else will find this ride well worth the money.

This is one of the vehicles that proves Subaru is on top of the game when it comes to ADAS

As a daily, there’s no doubt that the Crosstrek will fit the bill. This is especially true in Philippine settings, be it within Metro Manila or the provinces. Thanks to its generous ride height, all-wheel-drive, and robust suspension system, it can take on the rough sections of EDSA with no issues at all. Plus, it can do all these while not feeling as bulky as a midsize SUV.

But does it have the pizzazz to face competitors like the Mazda CX-30 and Honda HR-V? Well, let’s put it this way - it is the only one among the three that’s meant to handle some degree of light off-roading. The other two, while excellent crossovers in their own right, are designed to be sleek and supple road-going rides.