Subaru has traditionally excelled at building rugged, go-anywhere four-wheel drive cars, favoured by farmers and rally-fans in equal measure.
Drivers looking for a four-wheel drive super saloon can still get a taste of race-bred engineering in form of the WRX, although the famous Impreza badge now adorns the bootlid of a reliable but sedate family hatchback.
Subaru has persevered with the estate car platform as a practical means of family transport. The Levorg is a high-tech addition to the range and the latest Outback is as tough and spacious as previous generations.
The recent surge in SUV popularity has led Subaru to apply its engineering expertise to this new segment. The XV represents its first foray into an ever expanding market, but faces stiff competition from a number of more established rivals.