staff@slashgear.com (Ivo Gievski)
2024-04-27 10:30:53
www.slashgear.com
The Subaru SVX is undoubtedly one of the quirkiest and most unique grand-touring machines coming from Japan. Still, it’s not mentioned as often as many other JDM grand-tourers of the 1990s, and today the Subaru SVX is almost forgotten. However, if you put tuning aside, the SVX makes a lot of sense, especially for people who value distinctive design and engineering.
Unlike its JDM peers, the SVX is a luxury coupe designed to get you anywhere quickly and with style. It has a very unusual design, with a glass canopy that borrows inspiration from fighter jets, but the interior is driver-oriented and has excellent craftsmanship, giving off more of an exotic car vibe than a 1990s JDM sports car. Advanced tech is on board, too, such as an 8-way adjustable driver’s seat, a tilt-telescope wheel with memory function, and speed-sensing wipers. Crucially, thanks to the glass canopy, the SVX feels roomy inside, with good space for front occupants.
Under the low front hood, Subaru installed a 3.3-liter flat-six that produces 230 hp. It’s not overly powerful but can still propel the SVX to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds despite the grand tourer’s curb weight of 3,164 lbs (1,435 kg). As you’d expect from Subaru, the SVX is equipped with a full-time AWD system, making it easy to drive fast. Subaru even opted for a four-speed automatic to make it more approachable for the driver. That might be its Achilles heel, but it’s at least a specially-developed, electronically-controlled transmission. Besides, manual swaps are pretty straightforward.