- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru Fr He
Subaru Levorg. Alternative to boring SUVs
The Subaru Levorg is a mid-size all-terrain estate manufactured by the Japanese company Subaru from 2014 to the present. It is not officially available in Israel, which is a pity, because it is a roomy, functional and stylish car that will offer you excellent driving characteristics and Japanese quality. A great alternative to boring SUVs!
The name "Levorg" is an acronym of three words, LEgacy, reVOlution, touRinG. The car shares its platform with the Impreza and Legacy.
The mid-size estate was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in November 2013, and has been on sale since May 2014. The car immediately attracted attention. During its advance sales before launch, Subaru received about 11,000 orders in three months! In the model range, the new Levorg has replaced the Legacy Touring Wagon Estate. After the premiere at the Geneva Motor Show since 2015, it was also brought to the European market, but it never arrived in Israel.
The first generation
The exterior of the first Subaru Levorg was inspired by the best traditions of Subaru. As a result, the company created a sports estate with a relief hood, decorated with a huge ‘nostril’ of the air intake. At the same time, the head optics looked peaceful, a kind of traditional Asian ‘slanted eyes’. Inside were C-section LED daytime running lights and round focusing lenses. The radiator grille was an elongated hexagon with a massive chrome trim. The sporty off-road nature of the car was modestly hinted at by a small aerodynamic body kit, door sills, a spoiler over the rear window and two chrome-plated exhaust pipes.
Despite sharing the platform with the Impreza, the Levorg belonged to the D-segment. The estate was 4,690 mm long, 1,780 mm wide and 1,485 mm high, and had a wheelbase of 2,650 mm. The 130 mm ground clearance, together with the flat boxer engine, ensured a very low center of gravity. Despite the sporty character, the estate had a capacious trunk with a volume of 522 liters or even 1,446 liters with the rear seats folded down. The list of equipment included seven airbags, seven-zone climate control system, multimedia system with good speakers, navigation and a rear-view camera, sports seats with advanced lateral support and active cruise control. According to the results of crash tests conducted by Euro NCAP in 2016, the entry-level version of the new Subaru Levorg earned the maximum five-star rating, because even then it already knew how to brake and see the markings.
According to the results of crash tests conducted by Euro NCAP, the entry-level version of the Subaru Levorg earned the maximum five-star safety rating
In the domestic Japanese market and in Europe, the 2014/2015/2016 Subaru Levorg was equipped with two opposed turbocharged gasoline engines and an intercooler. The 1.6-liter FB16 engine developed 170 hp and a torque of 250 Nm. Acceleration to 100 km/h occurred in 8.9 seconds, and the top speed reached 210 km/h. The car consumed 7.3 liters of gasoline per 100 km in the combined cycle. The 2-liter FA20 had an output of 296 hp and 400 Nm of torque. With it, the car accelerated to the first 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds and consumed about 8.3 liters of gasoline per 100 km in a quiet driving mode. Both versions featured a Lineartronic CVT and permanent all-wheel drive. Interestingly, the center differential was asymmetric: it distributed torque in a ratio of 40:60 in favor of the rear axle. The estate was equipped with a MacPherson strut front suspension and a double-wishbone rear suspension.
STi Special Edition
It is hard to imagine Subaru without versions from the sports division STi (Subaru Technica international). Thus, the Levorg also got a sports modification, but it contained the same standard powertrains and an improved chassis: the Levorg STi received a special DampMatic II suspension with Bilstein brand shock absorbers, as well as 18-inch alloy wheels and a modified electric power steering. Externally, the STi was distinguished by a special aerodynamic body kit, LED fog lamps, chrome-plated muffler tips, and a beautiful two-tone interior with STi logos.
2017 restyling
After the restyling, the 2017 Subaru Levorg acquired a new off-road autopilot, EyeSight Touring Assist. As before, it worked on the basis of data from two cameras under the windshield, and the electronics could independently control the car on the track, keeping it in the lane, and at any speed. The list of equipment started offering a reverse automatic braking system, a blind spot monitoring system, new wide-angle cameras, one hidden in the radiator grille and another built into the left mirror. The interior rear-view mirror began to show an image from the camera on the trunk lid. Nothing will remain unnoticed!
The restyled Subaru Levorg received new bumpers and a radiator grille, as well as smart LED headlights, capable of adapting to your driving. The new media system had an 8-inch screen. Moreover, to the delight of those who liked to carry oversized items, the back of the rear seat was divided not into two, but into three parts (40:20:40). The suspension, the electric power steering and the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine were reconfigured.
In 2019, the European (but not Japanese!) Subaru Levorg underwent another restyling. Instead of turbocharged engines, it started featuring naturally aspirated engines and a hood without a characteristic air intake. There was only a 2-liter naturally aspirated boxer engine with an output of 150 hp and a torque of 198 Nm. The enry-level version offered a new multimedia system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto services, along with smart LED headlights, dual-zone climate control system, heated front seats, a rear-view camera and an EyeSight security system. The top-end modification featured a leather interior, a navigator and a panoramic roof.
The second generation
Introduced in August 2020, this generation is currently only sold in Japan. The new Subaru Levorg has become the first model to feature many of the brand’s innovations. For example, it is designed in compliance with the new Bolder signature style, with its aggressive and sharp features. At the same time, built on the Subaru Global Modular Platform (SGP), the car has become noticeably larger: 65 mm longer (4,755 mm), slightly wider (1,795 mm) and a bit higher (1,500 mm). The wheelbase has grown by a couple of centimeters, up to 2,670 mm. The ground clearance has also increased, up to 145 mm. The interior is more spacious. The three part rear seat layout has migrated from the restyled car.
The second generation Subaru Levorg features a 12.3-inch digital dashboard (in all trim levels) with several display modes, including navigation. But there are also mechanical buttons along the edges of the 11.6-inch multimedia system screen. Opening the tailgate is very interesting: you don’t need to wave your leg under the bumper, all you have to do is touch the rear logo with any part of your body (the logical solution is the elbow when the hands are busy). The trunk volume reaches 492 liters without folding the rear seats.
The new Subaru Levorg has become the first model to feature many of the brand’s innovations
The 2020/2021 Subaru Levorg is equipped with a new 1.8-liter turbocharged CB18 boxer engine. Thanks to direct fuel injection, its power is 177 hp and a torque reaches 300 Nm. The transmission is a Lineartronic V-chain variator with manual mode and eight fixed gears. The unchanged four-wheel drive has not disappeared either, but now it is made with a rear axle coupling. There is also a SI-Drive system with two driving modes. The car still features a MacPherson strut front suspension and a double-wishbone rear suspension.
The new Levorg offers the updated electronics. It comes with the latest generation EyeSight package (included in all trim levels), which contains automatic braking and lane keeping assist systems, as well as a stereo camera with an increased viewing angle and four radars along the perimeter of the body. There is also an optional advanced EyeSight X package with an adaptive cruise control that works on satellite navigation. Interestingly, a smart assistant evaluates the steepness of turns and terrain in advance in order to bring the speed of the car in line with the conditions.
The Levorg STi Sport version is distinguished by the presence of new ‘smart’ electronically controlled shock absorbers that have several stiffness modes. The car is also equipped with a more powerful Drive Mode Select system, which has not two, but as many as five driving modes. Each has its own settings for the engine, CVT, suspension, power steering and all-wheel drive transmission.
