Subaru to Reveal an XV Concept in Geneva

Subaru XV Concept (Credit: © Subaru)

Subaru is notorious for releasing aggressive-looking concepts but failing to deliver on them in production. Well, here we go again, as Subie has announced that it will release a concept version of its XV at the Geneva Auto Show.

The details surrounding this new concept are under tight lock and key, but Subaru did unveil a teaser image that gives us a peek at the front corner of the crossover. This image shows that the XV—now known just as the Crosstrek in the U.S.—will carry a new look in the coming years. You can easily make out more aggressive air intakes on the bumper, an aluminum-look lower bumper and skid plate, a new grille, and revised headlights.

Other than those details, there is little else to talk about here. The Crosstrek has never been the most exciting model in Subaru’s lineup, so I highly doubt this is a teaser for any sort of performance variant. Though it is doubtful, I cannot help thinking just how amazing a Crosstrek STI with a version of the WRX’s 268-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, or better yet, the WRX STI’s 305-horsepower 2.5-liter powerhouse.

Now for the bad part… While this concept looks really cool in the teaser image and will likely look just as badass in the metal at Geneva, we all know that this design will likely not make it to production. This reeks of the same stylistic direction Subaru went with the WRX Concept only to release a production model that was toned way down.

We will get to see just what Subaru has up its sleeve in the coming weeks, as the Geneva show kicks off for us media folk on March 1st. We’ll bring you more details as they become available. Stay tuned for more.