The new Subaru Crosstrek has arrived in the UK as a replacement for the XV, bringing a design overhaul and strong focus on off-road driving.

Designed for "utility and sportiness that lends itself to an active lifestyle", the family SUV touts a series of drivetrain revisions to make it easier to drive off-road.

It gets a "class-leading" ground clearance of 220mm and a revised permanent four-wheel drive system over the old Subaru XV, allowing for more agile handling and better control both on and off-road.

There's also X-Mode on top-end models, which gives the driver better control on slippery surfaces. 

Subaru also claims the Crosstrek is 10% stiffer than the XV, due to refined production techniques, resulting in a quieter cabin and better handling.

The Crosstrek is the first UK-bound Subaru to wear the Japanese firm's new frameless hexagonal grille, along with reshaped air ducts and channels that are said to improve improve fuel economy.

It also features slimmer headlights, new alloy wheels that are available in 17in or 18in sizes and black cladding on its wheel arches

It makes use of the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder boxer petrol engine as the XV. That means it produces 134bhp and an identical torque figure for a 0-62mph time of 10.7sec and a top speed of 123mph. Power is sent to both axles via a CVT.

Inside, the Crosstrek gets an 11.6in infotainment touchscreen with smartphone mirroring as standard.

It also gets Subaru's Eyesight suite of active safety systems, which is said to operate more smoothly and quickly than before.

Prices start at £34,290 for Limited trim, making it more expensive than the £27,470 Skoda Karoq but cheaper than the Jeep Compass, which starts at £34,580. Touring trim, meanwhile, starts at £36,290.

The Crosstrek arrives off the back of a successful 2023 for Subaru in the UK, in which it posted a 73% increase in sales, to 2403, driven largely by the launch of the Subaru Solterra electric SUV.

It will be followed in the coming months by the new sixth-generation Subaru Forester SUV.