SUBARU’S XV compact crossover has obviously struck a chord with the Australian car-buying public, consistently exceeding sales expectations despite not costing much less than the popular Forester from the next size up.

We were impressed with the XV after our drive at the launch in the summer, so we decided to live with – and almost in – one for a week during winter, including a trip to the bush to check out its mud-plugging ability.

But did the XV’s initial charm soon wear thin or is this the beginning of a beautiful relationship?