Levorg targets GT owners

Subaru will seek to appeal to a new generation of Liberty GT buyers when its new Levorg wagon goes on sale next July.

Subaru Australia boss Nick Senior says the new sports-touring wagon is aimed directly at the fans of the earlier Liberty wagon. The new-to-Oz car, which has been on sale in Japan since mid-2014, is one of the best “clinicked” cars the brand has sought to introduce Down Under, he said.

“The response to Levorg has been very, very positive,” Senior told motoring.com.au during a drive of the turbocharged wagon this week in Japan.

“We’ve been interested in the car since its debut in Japan and have worked hard to get a business case together. Levorg has been very successful since its launch in Japan, [but] the [local customer research] clinics were the clincher,” Senior said.

Although heavily based on the current WRX, Levorg was designed to capitalise on the popularity [in Japan] of the fourth-generation Liberty wagon. Dubbed Legacy in Japan and sold 2002-07, it was the best-selling Subaru wagon there, an honour it matched Down Under. The new car closely matches the earlier Liberty’s external dimensions but, says Senior, delivers more interior space thanks to improved packaging.

Even the controversial Levorg name references the fourth-gen car, being derived from Legacy EVOlution touRinG, says Subaru execs.

Senior says Subaru Australia will offer two model grades when Levorg arrives next year, but would not specify details or pricing.

In Japan, Levorg is offered in GT and GT-S models. These are nameplates Subaru Australia is likely to adopt.

Given the company’s wish to separate the wagon from its WRX donor model, Subaru Australia will boost the spec of the local variants. Subaru’s Eyesight autonomous braking and safety system will be offered and Senior says a “Bilstein-style suspension” upgrade will be part of the premium model’s standard equipment list.

motoring.com.au believes pricing will start around $45,000 for the standard specification. The Levorg ‘GT-S’ will be priced at over $50K.

“You need to think about where WRX sits. It’s more [car] than a WRX,” Senior hinted.

Aussie Levorgs will feature the same 197kW/350Nm 2.0-litre direct-injected turbocharged petrol boxer four as local WRX models. No manual will be offered – instead Subaru will use its Lineartronic CVT auto. The gearbox features an ‘eight-speed’ stepped mode.

Subaru expects to be able to secure around 150 units per month. The Subaru Australia boss says the company will struggle to source any more volume.

“We are supply constrained on almost every model – and will be until the US factory [expansions] comes online in 2017,” Senior told motoring.com.au.