Subaru unveiled the new Impreza sedan and hatchback last year, and since the Crosstrek (known as the XV in Europe) is just an Impreza hatchback with a lift kit, it was only a matter of time until the new one surfaced. And here it is!

This is the first major redesign for the Crosstrek since its introduction in 2012. It's... not much different from the Impreza hatchback, to be honest. It's taller, and there's some additional body cladding around the wheels and on the lower portions of the fasciae, but that's about it. Compared to the previous generation, it's significantly less boxy. A new exterior color, "Cool Gray Khaki," is the most Subaru paint color that's ever existed.

The interior is the same story. The materials look better, and the dashboard arrangement keeps the important pieces front and center, with plenty of physical switchgear surrounding the touchscreen infotainment system. There's a new steering wheel and some orange stitching on the instrument panel, as well as a new electronic parking brake.

The new body rides on the Subaru Global Platform, which first arrived on the new Impreza. It will underpin just about every future Subaru, and it promises increased rigidity and improved noise, vibration and harshness. Body roll is down some 50 percent over the previous version.

Being a Subaru, it'll come with standard all-wheel drive. It'll come equipped with X-Mode, which optimizes pedal inputs and the all-wheel drive system for improved traction on slippery surfaces. Hill descent control will keep things from getting hairy when the going gets rocky.

In Europe, the sole engine on offer is a 154-horsepower, 2.0-liter flat-four, and it comes mated to a continuously variable transmission. In the US, that number is likely to dip to the same 152 horsepower output seen on the 2017 Impreza. The US-spec Impreza gets a manual in certain trims, so perhaps the Crosstrek will, too, but it's not necessarily a given.

There are plenty of safety systems on offer. In Europe, the Crosstrek will receive EyeSight as standard, which includes adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking and lane-keep assist. Additional systems add blind spot monitoring and headlights that move their beams to follow the steering wheel.

We'll learn more about the US-spec Crosstrek after it debuts at the New York International Auto Show in April.

2018 Subaru XV will make its way to... See full gallery