Looking for a mid-size car, at home in town or country? With a bit of funk? Something that has more space than the standard four-door, a bit more zizz than the usual family shopping cart? More importantly, do you want stunning handling that has been likened to the legendary WRX?

This is one hot little number from Subaru that could be the answer to all your questions. The WRX's little sibling, the new XV handles as well as it looks.

Okay, so it hasn't got the grunt of big brother but man, it's nimble! It's based on the platform and much of the mechanics of the Impreza, but with a stretched wheelbase, higher ride height and an underbelly on steroids. The result is a striking and stylish SUV with a look and attitude of its own, and performance to match.

The XV is loaded with features, gizmos and all the stuff that technology offers. But all that becomes secondary when you get out on the road and experience the drive. We were impressed with all of the dooflickies when first seated in the XV, but virtually forgot all about those excellent features once actually driving.

Dream to pilot
This amazing little hatchback, that Subaru dubs 'the big small car” is a dream to pilot.
It has the pep of the iconic 2 litre boxer quad cam chain drive (no cambelt) engine, plus through a six speed Automatic SLT gear box with the option of paddle shift, for economy and performance.

The all-wheel-drive is the key to its stunning handling, by putting the power through to all wheels, means that all of the Subaru XV models simply grip and go. It feels perfectly balanced when the power is on and unlike a lot of two wheel drives, there's absolutely no tendency to pull from side to side. Some of the smaller front wheel drives are positively dangerous, with a heap of power to just the front wheels. Not so the XV. It is so reassuringly stable it's hard to believe this is a two litre hatch.

Subaru really pioneered the ‘crossover' concept and have plenty of pedigree in this market, having symmetrical all-wheel-drive is standard in all of their vehicles since 1997.

It's the sort of joy of performance that immediately makes you want to forget about writing a review and just head for the hills. The Coromandel, the Kaimais. Even some east coast gravel. A beach or two. This little beastie just tugs at the heart strings, saying 'drive me, now.”

And the snow. If ever there was a zippy little mountain machine, it is the all-wheel-drive XV. There are snowboarders in our family who would sell their father to get their mitts on the wheel of one of these.

The other stuff
Okay, eventually I have to stop raving about the handling, to tell you about the other stuff. Because it has heaps of other stuff.

Firstly, the size is really interesting. It's a little higher than a standard hatch, so you get a bit more space inside, plus a bit better road view than the standard height car. Its ground clearance is 220mm, compared with the Impreza's 145mm. Yet it's low enough overall to easily reach to load the full length roof rails with boards or kayaks; without the driver having to be from Avatar to reach the roof.

The back seat leg room is truly impressive. You could put a leggy alien comfortably back there. With seats folded down, the cargo area is good for the overall size of the wagon.

Then there's the features.

The three models share the same drive train and running gear. The other prices reflect the level of gizmos and cosmetics, with about $4000 worth of difference between models.

The review car was the top-of-the-line ‘sport' version, for $48,990 plus on-road costs. It has all the fruit, including some things us middle aged codgers hadn't heard of. Yeah, yeah, we know about Bluetooth. However, we'd never before heard of a car that will read your texts out loud while you drive. Another feature, a bit startling at first, is its clever fuel-saving attributes which help it achieve around 7 litres/100km – turning off the engine while stopped on the foot brake at traffic lights. Once it detects a change of pressure on the brake, it instantly and indiscernibly starts up again, ready to rock off the line.

The XV-S has the works. Leather, sunroof, tinted glass, GPS, dual climate air, heated seats… and the list goes on and on.

There's the L model, which has some of those, priced at $44,990. Then the base model for $40,990 and a manual six speed at $38,990 (all excluding on road costs).

Our test car's controls and displays were a delight. The moderate-size dash screen doubles as a GPS map and a backing camera, and there's another screen display above it, set further back, with every conceivable piece of information you could possibly need. And some.

This is certainly a car for the technology fiends out there who love to connect, interact, communicate and drive like a trendsetter. Certainly, it is well pitched to the upwardly mobile young market; yet held plenty of appeal to us ‘more seasoned' drivers.

Happily, it's also a car to celebrate that almost forgotten pleasure – the joy of exceptional handling! The suspension is firm and perky, noticeably tuned to cope with the slightly higher centre of gravity.

You know, the buzz we used to get from tight cornering, balanced and smooth power delivery and those other tactile sensory experiences – before the invention of Playstation.

Right, there's a lot more to this little big car that I just don't have time to explain right now. Talk to Darrel at Farmer Autovillage to find out more for yourself. I'm running out the door for another drive, before I have to give it back.