Subaru SVX – Cult Classic, Not Best Seller
February 25, 2022
When most people think of Subaru we’re sure that they envisage those blue Impreza World Rally Championship monsters, tearing up Scandinavian forest stages on their way to another podium finish. At least we do anyway. But whatever the case, we think it’s safe to say that with such a rich rally heritage coursing through its veins this image is never too far from the brand when conversations concerning the Japanese auto maker are concerned. Rather incongruous to this perception, then, is a two-door luxury coupé, but that’s exactly what Subaru built in the early ’90s in the form of the SVX – a somewhat offbeat, high-end cruiser aimed directly at the centre of the US market and arriving squarely out of left field.
The ‘Subaru Vehicle X’ was quite the departure for the company when it was unveiled in concept form at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1989. Renowned for its dinky Kei cars and robust but ever-so-dull saloons at the time the Giorgetto Giugiaro designed four-seater was quite the breath of fresh air. Intended to compete in the lucrative luxury tourer market the SVX was a good looking, tech-laden coupé with all-wheel drive and a bespoke six-cylinder engine. It had an air of individuality that should have been the recipe for success. Sadly that wasn’t to be, however, as standing out from the crowd comes at a price and for many that price was far too high, spoiling an otherwise tasty shopping list of ingredients.
Giugiaro wanted a sleek, aerodynamic car and with his mind firmly set on that premise he went a bit ‘Inception’ and devised the SVX’s unique window within a window setup. The result of flush-fitting the glass work to the body a smaller window had to be incorporated so that they could be effectively opened, much like his DeLorean design. This all led to a ‘glasshouse’ canopy effect as well as a reduced drag coefficient that influenced the sleek lines of the slippery Subaru. Inside the car wasn’t quite as innovative, however. Much more consistent with other Subarus at the time the interior was a suitably mundane affair with only the odd flourish of Alcantara to break up the acres of moulded plastic. It was fully specced out with plenty of toys to play with though and everything was electric. The seats are often praised for their comfort too and so on the whole the cabin of the SVX is an agreeable place to be and in keeping with interiors of the class and era.
As far as propulsion is concerned Subaru know a thing or two when it comes to building notable six-cylinder engines and the EG33 Boxer featured in the SVX is no exception. A bespoke, 24-valve, 3.3-litre lump that was unique to the model it produces around 230bhp and 228lb ft of torque. It was perfectly suited to the car’s cruising nature but unfortunately the SVX was only offered with a somewhat flaky four-speed automatic gearbox and so the full potential of the motor could never be thoroughly realised. The all-wheel drive system – a product of the company’s rallying legacy – would also prove to be a weakness and paired with the transmission could cause all sorts of overheating issues if not correctly maintained. Handling is predictable and the ride is smooth, if a little uninspiring, but then this is a cruising coupé and not a B-road blaster. As it turns out it was perfectly fit for purpose.
The Subaru SVX was the result of an ambitious company looking to diversify its range of vehicles and it was a sterling effort by the Japanese. Despite its early drivetrain issues it was a distinctive, superbly engineered car that was an entirely new design having been built from the ground up. But therein layeth the problem. It was simply too expensive to produce – an issue not helped by a made-to-measure engine that was unique to the project. The costs involved to develop and produce the SVX nudged it into a price bracket that was far too close to more desirable metal and even though it was arguably a more attractive proposition and better made than anything offered by Ford or Vauxhall at the time it remained a bit of a flop form a sales perspective.
The SVX was offered in the UK, albeit in an incredibly limited capacity, and we’re sure that with a manual gearbox (retro-fitting a five-speed from the Subaru legacy is a thing) and some more swank in the cabin it would have not only been a better and more engaging drive but it would also have unlocked the potential of that wonderful flat-six engine and likely sold in higher numbers. With less than 25,000 ever made over its six year production run it represents an especially rare modern classic that transcends any potential mechanical frailties it may bear for its exclusivity alone. With a top speed of nearly 150mph and a 0-60 in the eight seconds range it’s fast enough for most, as well as being a far more interesting, compelling and capable alternative to other, more well known ’90s fare.
