The Subaru Viziv Adrenaline concept debuted at the Geneva International Motor Show this month. It looks like the Crosstrek’s futuristic — dare I say, ‘BOLDER’ — sibling. Is it all marketing fluff, or is this the future we can expect from Subaru?
Subaru’s marketing team sure had fun adding buzzwords and creating fluff for the Viziv Adrenaline concept press release.
My favorite quote: “Combining utility that supports active lifestyles with off-road driving capability that delivers enjoyment to go anywhere, the Viziv Adrenaline Concept stimulates the driver’s mind, encouraging them to ‘drive freely in mother nature.’”
Now that’s a mouthful!
Compatibility with active lifestyles and off-road capability are what we already love about Subaru. More of all that is great, but I’m not so sure how this stylized, futuristic Crosstrek-looking concept will “stimulate the driver’s mind.” And driving “freely in mother nature” sounds awesome as well, but what does that even mean?
Future Subaru Crosstrek?
All marketing fluff aside, our best guess is that the Subaru Viziv Adrenaline concept is a glimpse into the future of the Crosstrek. It’s taller, more aggressive, and generally “bolder” than the current car. These are all aspects that we can get behind — if executed properly.
The Future of Subaru Styling
The Viziv Adrenaline is an evolution of the Dynamic x Solid design identity Subaru first showed in 2014. The concept vehicle is also the debut of what Subaru is calling its BOLDER (all caps Subaru’s, not ours) design concept.
What all this means is that Subaru is trying to remain relevant to a young, sporty audience and create unique, bold designs that stand out from the crowd. We’ll let you decide if the Viziv Adrenaline accomplishes that goal. We think it’s an interesting design language that Subaru can build upon to create some fun vehicles that we’re sure to love.
Viziv Adrenaline Styling
The taut body lines, aggressive fenders, tiny rear doors, and unique roof designs are what set this concept car apart from the pack. The sharp angles and big fenders provide an aggressive, rugged look to this vehicle. The roof design is a bit odd but apparently “reinforces the body structure,” which can only help performance. The tiny rear doors honestly look out of proportion to the car and might be hard to get in and out of.
I do really like the integrated rear dual exhaust and the center-lock wheels. Both make the vehicle feel racy and fast and harken to Subaru’s rally heritage.
Subaru also said, “The white accents going through the wheels to rugged all-terrain tires emphasize the feel like outdoor gears.” First off, the tires are like rubber bands and have relatively slick tread, both of which don’t make them very rugged. Secondly, what are “outdoor gears”?
The Subaru Off-Road Legacy
The Viziv Adrenaline concept does generally look like an improvement over current Subaru vehicles in terms of off-road ability. It offers really good entry and exit angles, good ground clearance, and integrated skid plates in the bumpers.
The off-road fail is for sure those low-profile tires wrapped on massive wheels. Low-profile tires can’t be aired down and offer a generally harsh ride in rough terrain. They should be fun and fast on the pavement, though!
Just a Concept Car
With all that said, we have to remember that the Viziv Adrenaline is just a concept car. We have no clue of its drivetrain, interior, or much else.
It also sports tiny side-view-camera mirrors, integrated LED lighting in the bumpers, and futuristic, rubberband-like tires. All these features are hallmarks of concept cars. They are dead giveaways that this is just a styling exercise and concept vehicle nowhere near ready to spawn a production vehicle.
Are you like me and have no clue what a Viziv is? Apparently, it’s a word derived from the phrase “vision for innovation.” The marketing team at Subaru is a creative bunch!
