Subaru is preparing to bolster its performance car line-up with the launch of the new-generation Subaru Levorg later this year – and it will be repositioned as essentially a wagon version of the WRX.
The current-generation Levorg has been offered with both 1.6-litre (125kW/250Nm) and 2.0-litre (197kW/350Nm) turbocharged four-cylinder boxer engines, the latter shared with the Subaru WRX.
But with the incoming 2021 Subaru Levorg, local executives from the Japanese car-maker have confirmed to carsales that the small-to-medium-size wagon will pack a high-performance punch that could match the 200kW-plus 2021 WRX.
This is despite the fact the new Levorg was launched in the Japanese market with a tamer 130kW/300Nm 1.8-litre turbo-petrol boxer.
“Levorg in Australia will morph into something a little different to what it is now,” said Subaru Australia’s national corporate affairs manager David Rowley.
“The car will take on a slightly different form which potentially will appeal to a more performance-orientated audience.”
Rowley and other Subaru Australia executives were not prepared to confirm the new Levorg would have the same running gear as the long-awaited new Subaru WRX, which will launch around the same time in the final quarter of 2021.
But all indications point to a narrow-focused line-up Down Under that will see the Levorg use the same 2.4-litre turbo-petrol engine expected to slot into the new Rex.
There are hesitations among Subie execs because we’ve not yet officially seen the new WRX, so its adoption of the new FA24-series 2.4-litre boxer turbo-four that’s already used in other models overseas remains the subject of speculation.
In the US-market Subaru Outback and Ascent, for example, the 2.4 turbo produces 195kW/375Nm, paired with a CVT automatic transmission, but in the new WRX – and the Levorg – it should be tuned to produce well in excess of 200kW.
The forthcoming 2022 Subaru WRX STI is also expected to use a version of the FA24 engine, uprated to as much as 300kW if reports prove correct.
Bearing design cues that will carry over to the WRX, the new Levorg is built on the same Subaru Global Platform that underpins the current Impreza, Forester, XV and the just-launched sixth-generation Subaru Outback.
At 4755mm long and with a stretched 2670mm wheelbase, the sports wagon is slightly bigger than the outgoing model, which could provide some comfort for those lamenting the loss of the Subaru Liberty which was discontinued last year.
The current Subaru Levorg with the 197kW 2.0-litre engine is priced from $50,390 plus on-road costs for the entry GT-S version, rising to $53,240 plus ORCs for the STI Sport flagship.
However, it is no longer listed on the Subaru Australia website, and the company has advised that there are “literally only five left in dealer stock”.