New Subaru Levorg revealed
Sleek new wagon coming to Oz; Japan-spec models revealed with 1.8-litre turbo-petrol engineJapanese media have begun test drives of the new-generation Subaru Levorg powered by a new 130kW/300Nm 1.8-litre turbo-petrol boxer engine.
The fancy Impreza-based wagon has been confirmed for Australia and is tipped to arrive here in the second half of 2021.
But it’s not yet clear whether the Subaru Levorg will be offered here with the same new downsized flat-four and CVT automatic transmission as the Japanese domestic market version.
Boasting a fresh new look that hints at the designs of the upcoming Subaru WRX and WRX STI, which will be revealed in 2021 and 2022 respectively, the new Subaru Levorg also gets adaptive suspension and a next-gen EyeSight X driver-assist system that uses loads of radar sensors and cameras to keep the car on the road.
The car’s new adaptive cruise control offers hands-free driving in traffic jams and will also change lanes and even slow the vehicle for tollgates and corners using sat-nav input.
There’s also a high-tech interior fit-out with a large 11.6-inch vertical (portrait-style) touch-screen infotainment system, a fancy 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a digital interior mirror.
All these high-end features will also work their way into the next Subaru WRX and WRX STI, but it remains to be seen whether the equipment sharing will flow both ways and whether a high-end Levorg will get the tricked-up circa-200kW powerplant expected in the Subaru WRX.
Only the 130kW 1.8-litre turbo boxer engine has been announced in Japan at this stage.
Subaru Australia released an official statement today, confirming: “Australia will get next-generation Levorg” but that “specification, including engines and timing, will be considerably different to that in the Japan domestic market, which is launching later this year.”
The 1.8-litre turbo-boxer may not get a guernsey in Australia, which means another potentially juicier engine will have to slot in.
The current Subaru Levorg wagon range spans four models and is priced from $37,240 for the 1.6-litre turbo GT (125kW/250Nm) and tops out at $53,240 for the 2.0-litre turbo (197kW/350Nm) STI Sport. The latter gets the same engine as the current WRX but only automatic CVTs are offered with the Levorg.
Subaru Australia said it was “…too early to provide fine detail, but we’ve clearly demonstrated the niche market for this performance wagon and it’s one we will develop and explore, but in a slightly different direction, which we believe will appeal to an even greater customer base.”
The cryptic comments suggest Subaru Australia will take the Levorg in a different direction and possibly only offer high-end, high-performance (and high-profit) models.
Small wagons are a rarity in Australia, with only the Subaru Levorg, Volkswagen Golf and Skoda Octavia offering wagon variants here. The Toyota Corolla wagon is under consideration for Australia but unlikely to materialise in the short-term.
The new Subaru Levorg rides on the brand’s new(ish) global platform architecture which allows for hybrid powertrains and also sees the Japanese wagon grow slightly, measuring 4755mm long or 65mm longer. Width and height are unchanged at 1780mm and 1500mm respectively.
The wheelbase (distance between front and rear axles) has increased by 20mm to 2670mm, which should create more room for its five passengers, and boot space has increased from 489 to 561 litres. The tailgate also features hands-free power operation.
Subaru Australia has stated that it will “communicate detail and timing on what promises to be an exciting next-generation model at the earliest opportunity”.
At present two versions of the new wagon are offered in Japan: the Levorg and Levorg STI Sport.
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