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Remember Christmas week of 2012, when I led off my Saturday Drive column with this: “Cold though it is, I open the window this morning and shout ‘Merry Christmas’ from the driver’s seat of Subaru’s new crossover, the XV Crosstrek.”

It had just arrived in showrooms and was Subaru’s entry into the growing field of highly fuel-efficient compact crossovers at relatively low prices.
Well, I’ve spent the past week in the hybrid version of the Crosstrek.

Powering the 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid Touring model are the 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder gas horizontally opposed engine and an electric motor built into the rear of the continuously variable transmission, with a nickel-metal hydride battery pack beneath the cargo floor at the back.

The gas/electric setup shudders to life after a stop/start system shuts it down at stoplights, and acceleration is very adequate. The EPA estimate for the hybrid is 29/33 miles per gallon.

Two obstacles to attaining the high fuel mileage with the hybrid were strong winds and higher speeds. While it will cruise 55 to 60 miles per hour at 33 mpg, increasing speed to 75 on Interstates will cut that considerably, as will, of course, strong headwinds.

My overall average with the Crosstrek Hybrid was 28.8 mpg, barely higher than the 28.1 posted with the 2013 gas version.

Crosstrek sales jumped in February to 5,489 from 3,258 in the same month a year ago. Almost 10 percent of those sales last month, 546, were hybrids. In fact, even with only the minor gain in fuel mileage, a total of 1,016 sold in the first two months of this year rank the Crosstrek 15th among the 35 or 40 hybrid models available in the U.S. today.

The Toyota Prius Liftback leads two-month sales among hybrids with 14,601, followed by Ford Fusion with 5,703, Toyota Prius C 5,148, Toyota Camry 4,495, Toyota Prius V 3,473, Hyundai Sonata 3,247, Lexus CT200h 2,520, Ford C-Max 2,248, Lexus ES 1,811, Kia Optima 1,737, Lincoln MKZ 1,645, Toyota Avalon 1,583, Honda Accord 1,435, Lexus RX450h 1,258 and the Subaru Crosstrek 1,016.

Acting on a suggestion by Jan, we drove the Subaru to Sterling one morning for a stop at Dale’s Jewelry on Main Street. Later, while parking at Gallagher’s River City Grill, where we met Ron and Jeanne Davis for lunch, the Crosstrek’s exterior color came into play. The color, plasma green pearl, is a bit lighter and softer than lime green. A woman, leaving the lot, rolled down her window and hollered, “I love the color of your car.” “You’re kidding me,” I asked. “No, I think it is one of the prettiest cars I’ve ever seen,” she replied. Wow.

Bright colors are part of the appeal of the Subaru crossover for some. The Crosstrek I drove in December 2012 was finished in tangerine orange, kind of like a bright pumpkin.

Responsive steering is a highlight of the Crosstrek. Its CVT can be moved into manual mode and controlled with paddle shifters at the steering wheel.
The interior is dressed up nicely with leather seats (heated in front) and sunroof. Cargo space is cut to 21.5 cubic feet by the battery pack placement at the rear. A rearview camera is smaller than most, as it sits above the center stack.

The hybrid model of the Crosstrek costs about $3,000 higher than a comparably equipped gas version.

Sticker price on the review model is $30,120, including navigation, AM/FM/CD with hands-free Bluetooth/USB port and iPod connectivity/ XM radio, automatic climate control, cruise, tilt/telescope steering wheel, power windows/locks/mirrors and push-button start.

The Crosstrek, built in Japan, rides on Yokohama Geolandar P225/55R17 tires. The hybrid’s 29/33 EPA estimate, compared with the gas model’s 25/33, is higher only in the city.

Notes from e-mail

What an interesting column, Bud, regarding supercharged power for the new Audi SQ5 vs. a turbocharged diesel engine for the Q5. Driving cars such as those must be a highlight of an auto writer’s job. – S.W.

Audi has come along quickly and impressively as a competitor of Mercedes and BMW, Steve. Let me tell you about an interesting occurrence with that Audi SQ5. The cruise control stalk is positioned to the lower left of the steering column, just above where my left knee often rests as we roll down the highway. We were driving comfortably at 69 miles per hour until my knee nudged, repeatedly apparently, that cruise stalk, the set speed kicked up to 88 mpg and the supercharger sent the V-6 roaring. Of course, an instant touch of the brake brought it under control.