Let’s face some facts – Subaru has really struck a chord with their XV, the crossover and/or jacked-up Impreza hatch that has been, and let’s not deny this either, a silver lining in the company’s financials and market presence since its introduction in 2011.

With a funky design that’s peppered with rugged touches such as the beefy wheel arch cladding that extends down the car’s sides, to a set of 17-inch alloys that would be deemed almost too ostentatious some years back, Subaru has mixed its spices well.

And yet, underneath all that pizzazz, the XV is rather understated if you let your eyes settle on its shape for more than few short glances. However, try as you might, you’re probably not escaping that bright orange paint finish in a hurry.

Subaru introduced an updated XV earlier this year after first previewing the newer model in the region last December, and while you’d likely be hard-pressed to find stand-out differences on the outside (ahem, LED daytime running lights), I’m glad to say that the revisions to the drive and refinement levels are indeed welcome.

But before we get to that, let us consider what the XV’s mere existence in the Malaysian automotive market means. For one thing, the lack of a standard Impreza hatch does peeve some folk. But it also means that, once more, the name Subaru is now back on many a shortlist when it comes time to consider a crossover, a category of vehicle that’s growing in popularity each year – much to the initial consternation of this writer.

Personal perturbation aside, the Japanese marque’s re-emergence into the common buyer’s lexicon should be celebrated. Indeed, they are one of the most interesting automakers in the business, with a storied history in technology and motorsport that it would be a crying shame for them to fade into a well-deserved but somewhat obscure haze of niche and enthusiast fervour.

This is a company with much to offer, and has a character that shines through its vehicles far more distinctly than many others. It’s something many more owners and drivers should be exposed to, something to spark the connection to cars as something more than mere conveyances. That, too, is where the XV and it’s marketing are aiming at: positioning it as a car that can take you places, even if the road ends halfway through, goading you into memorable driving experiences (or ‘adventures’, as they like to label them) to further deepen that bond.

Again, I say, it is working.

Because of that, you by now are most likely quite familiar with the XV’s shape and its general appeal. You’ve probably even contemplated one yourself, perhaps even justifying it with your own latent intrepid spirit despite knowing full well that you, like all crossover owners, will likely spent most of your time driving it in the city.

At RM137,074.89 (OTR plus insurance), the XV isn’t the bargain of the generation, but does offer plenty of car for your money. Our pick would be the 2.0i-P variant, which comes with a host of extra kit and niceties for the RM4,000 differential in price over the base 2.0i. For reference, these include, among other things: extra airbags, paddle shifters, cruise control, and automatic climate control.

Stepping inside, the XV’s cabin is airy enough to unknot your muscles after a long sedentary day at the office, but cosy enough to feel sportier at the moment of shifted perspective. The dashboard layout itself is very Subaru, which is to say not all that exciting. It’s a plainness that’s a definite contrast to the car’s exterior.

Everything is functionally laid out, thankfully, with clear dials, ergonomic and logical placement of controls and a build quality that surprises especially after finding some hard plastics further down in the reaches of the interior. Fortunately, the vast majority of the surfaces you come into contact with do have a nice soft feel to them, as do the comfy leather-trimmed seats with orange contrast stitching.

In the back, the XV is very commodious for rear passengers, providing ample head and legroom. Further to the car’s tail and behind its hatchback boot lid, you’ll find a good but not class-leading amount of cargo space. It doesn’t help that there’s quite a high load lift, but the seats do fold flat enough that few items would really bother the lugging XV owner. There are even D-rings to helpfully secure loose items.

Special mention has to be made about the XV’s digital screens, and sadly the remarks are far from glowing. While the top-mounted display does a commendable job of displaying HVAC and trip information, I just wish it was more conveniently placed so as to not require me to dart my eyes so far from the road. The infotainment system, on the other hand, is quite dismal. The experience was marred by a head unit that looked distinctly aftermarket, had flimsy buttons, slow and often unresponsive touchscreen inputs, lacklustre resolution, dozens of unworkable Bluetooth pairing attempts, and a janky interface design. In a market that’s consistently improving in this respect, and especially at this price point, the XV’s infotainment system is bordering on unacceptable. I have, however, heard much better things about Subaru’s next-gen infotainment system, such as the one fitted to the Levorg (which we’re told, is coming soon).

Once you’ve fiddled enough with the on-board entertainment, however, and start moving, the XV is quite the relaxing cruiser. The permanent Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system really goes a long way in making the driver feel secure in the car’s place on the road, at low speeds or high.

The steering isn’t anything to write home about but modulating the throttle will help to counteract the chassis’ in-built understeer by demanding more drive and traction to be shuffled to the front wheels. Around town it is light, direct and easy to operate, giving the feel and manoeuvrability of a smaller car. A definite improvement comes with turn-in, as the older XV felt a little vague at this crucial point of the drive, but the updated model feels tighter and more predictable, not so quick to surrender to front axle flex and compression in the opposite direction of the corner, allowing the all-wheel drive system to impressively claw back grip.

On less-than-ideal road surfaces – that’s pretty much everywhere if you live in the Klang Valley – the XV’s firmer suspension setup are matched to thicker tyres. It’s a combination that works well together, giving the XV a more confidence-inspiring feel on the road while absorbing bumps and jolts without fuss and an assuring linearity that, for lack of a better term, feels complex and expensive.

With bumps and ruts dealt with, and you’ll eventually find a long stretch or a fine twisty road to stretch the XV a little, which brings us to the engine and transmission combo. The 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder Boxer engine is a proven hardy performer and its low centre of gravity is certainly helpful dynamically, but in terms of sheer grunt the XV could do with more immediacy than the quoted 150PS and 196Nm of torque, particularly since it is paired to a continuously variable transmission.

In Subaru’s defence, their Lineartronic CVT is one of the best in the market, only topped by class-leaders such as Nissan’s X-Tronic and Honda’s Earth Dreams CVT. Still, though, when prodding the XV for that extra slice of engagement, it’s the engine and transmission combination that ultimately leaves one wanting.

Given a light-enough right foot, conversely, the XV can return quite respectable fuel economy and a relaxing drive to boot – courtesy of that CVT, as long as you don’t as too much of it too quickly.

It’s a curious compromise in an overall package that otherwise would be quite the consummate crossover since the XV’s balance of comfort and sportiness, looks and character, quality and price, all seem to straddle that sweet spot that Subaru has been so keen to capitalise on, using strengths that are all unique to them.

The thing is, though, powerful engines are not an area where one might think Subaru would shy away from. At the risk of unearthing motoring journalist cliché, I gingerly submit that what the XV needs is more power. The CVT can stay, and the droning noise that is usually associated with it by other reviewers, to this writer, are exaggerations.

But, then again, perhaps there’s just something about this combination (power and torque figures included) that resonates with the masses. After all, the XV really does tick a lot of the other boxes thrown its way. In terms crossovers, practicality and function do certainly rank higher on the list of priorities than power and acceleration.

Unlike a lot of its competitors, the XV’s all-wheel drive credentials don’t just equate to more grip on a rain-soaked road, but genuinely imbues the Subaru with true off-road ability, allowing you to really take an impromptu adventure off the beaten track instead of just a little closer to it than in the front-wheel drive sedan you used to have. By that token, then, that alone puts the XV in a tier above its heightened hatchback rivals.