Subaru says “every road leads to excitement and every path is an adventure” in its Crosstrek hybrid 4WD SUV. Al Suttie, UK Car of the Year Awards director and Fleet World road test guru, puts the claim to the test.

Subaru Crosstrek 2.0i E-Boxer Touring

List price (BiK): £35,205 (37%) CO2: 174g/km Economy: 36.8mpg Test efficiency: 35.4mpg

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Monday

Subaru is a company that has fallen off the radars of many drivers, but this Crosstrek 2.0i E-Boxer Touring has arrived at the perfect time of year. With ice on the roads and not every surface being gritted round here, the Crosstrek’s four-wheel drive should be a blessing. Its compact size also means it should be well suited to some of the country lanes that make up my regular journeys.

Tuesday

As predicted, the Crosstrek makes easy work of a drive into the wilds this morning to meet a photographer. I’ve spotted a couple of cars that have slithered off into ditches, but the Subaru makes steady, relaxed progress and fits down some of the tighter roads without the need to put a tyre on the frozen verge. Shame the steering has very little sensation, though, as this would improve its overall driving impression considerably.

Wednesday

More rural road adventures this morning, though the ice has receded, thankfully. What impresses with the Crosstrek today is the supple suspension that dabs away almost every rut and jut in the road. Where some SUVs on large wheels and thin-walled tyres would have me wincing, the Subaru just gets on with the job undeflected by such interruptions. It really is in its element here.

Thursday

The hybrid power for the Crosstrek sees it travel for very short burst on battery power alone. The transition between EV only and petrol power is smooth, but I just don’t like the CVT (continuously variable transmission) Lineartronic automatic gearbox. It often has the engine revving way more than feels necessary to get decent acceleration, while the simulated gears do nothing to improve the way the car drives.

Friday

It may be this particular car, but my time with the Crosstrek has been plagued by incessant forward collision warnings. It’s not my driving, before anyone makes a quip, as the red alert of doom flashes up along with it warning chime at the merest hint of badly parked car. The problem with all of this is I now don’t trust its judgment, which could mean ignoring it as it cries wolf so often.

Saturday

The week started with a brimmed tank and I’ve covered around 250 miles in the past few days. I didn’t expect to be filling the Crosstrek’s tank at this point, but the fuel gauge is well below the quarter full level. Thinking the car maybe had a tiny fuel capacity, it’s 48-litres so no huge but not miniscule. The real issue is mediocre 35.4mpg economy, though this isn’t far short of the official claim of 36.8mpg.

Sunday

There’s no doubt the Crosstrek is packed with kit in Touring spec and keenly priced against rivals, many of which don’t have four-wheel drive included at this price. However, the Subaru’s cabin feels a generation behind in terms of quality and appearance, even if the infotainment is now up to snuff. Practicality is good but not class-leading, which leaves the Crosstrek an also-ran in a class full of very able cars.