2018 Subaru Levorg details revealed

Subaru has made some significant changes to its Levorg range in Australia.

The Japanese manufacturer this week revealed numerous adjustments to the wagon portfolio, headed by a new engine option, reduced entry pricing and the addition of a new STI Sport variant. The changes coincide with a big jump in pricing if you favour the existing 2.0-litre variants.

There are four Levorg variants in total.

The entire 2018 Levorg line-up shares tweaked styling, new adaptive headlights which follow the driver’s steering inputs, a new 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat, a larger 5.9-inch driver instrument display, automatic hill-hold function and rain-sensing windscreen wipers..

Subaru has whittled the entry price of the Levorg range to $35,990 (plus on-road costs), some $7250 less than before. The change has come about with the addition of a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine that is new to the Australian portfolio, developing 125kW of power at 4800rpm and 250Nm of torque from 1800rpm.

Known as the 1.6 GT, the new entry point features 17-inch wheels, automatic LED headlights with daytime running lights, Subaru’s EyeSight safety suite, a reversing camera, dual-zone climate control, cloth seats, keyless entry and start, 6.2-inch touchscreen and six-speaker sound system.

The 1.6 GT consumes 7.4L/100km on a combined cycle, according to Subaru, and is mated with a familiar Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).

Sitting upstream of the GT is the 1.6 GT Premium, priced from $42,890 (plus on-road costs). It gets the same driveline and basic equipment of the GT, adding 18-inch alloy wheels, Bilstein suspension, electric driver’s seat, sunroof, leather seats (front seats with seat warmers), a larger 7.0-inch infotainment system with sat-nav, auto-dimming rear view mirror, and two additional USB points.

The GT Premium’s safety suite is extended to include blind spot monitoring, lane change assist, rear-cross traffic alert, and a front view camera.

One of the big pricing adjustments comes in the form of the 2.0 GT-S, which now starts at $49,190 (plus on-road costs) – a $5900 hike partly offset by the introduction of the new 1.6-litre variant.

Sharing the same 197kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo four as the WRX sedan, the wagon version builds on the Levorg GT Premium equipment by adding black accented wheels and a ‘Sport #’ mode in the configurable driver settings.

Curiously, the pricing revisions mean the updated WRX sedan is now $10,000 cheaper than its wagon sibling.

Finally, at the top of the range sits the new 2.0 STI Sport, priced at $51,990 (plus on-road costs).

It extends on the GT-S’ driveline by adding a unique front bumper and grille, STI exhaust tips, STI-themed instrument cluster, 18-inch STI alloy wheels, STI-tuned suspension, leather seats with red stitching and the option of Subaru’s World Rally Blue exterior paint.

The updated Levorg range touches down in dealerships from this month.