FAMILY WAGON SIZZLES
It may not be the tarmac-tearing WRX but the milder-mannered Subaru Levorg combines a blend of practicality with pocket rocket pace
THE Subaru Levorg is a milder-mannered, more thoughtful version of the tarmac-tearing WRX; this new one is more the sports wagon for the family.
The clean, uncluttered body style won’t scare the neighbours and there’s a comfortable interior with room for family, holiday luggage and boards up top.
The Levorg cabin is packed with the usual array of comfort and convenience features.
But stab the start button and the wagon fires with a hint of menace.
Slip into D for Drive, tickle the throttle and hang on a bit, steady on the wheel – the turbocharged, flat four engine delivers torque of 350Nm from 2400rpm through to 5200rpm, so there’s a nice line in acceleration.
Park power of 197kW at 5600rpm is also most welcome.
Here there’s precious little turbo lag to disrupt a linear delivery of torque and power to all four wheels through a Constantly Variable Transmission, rounding up the mechanicals for a 6.8-second run from standstill to 100km/h.
Back in the days of early Saab turbos in particular, turbo lag while waiting for exhaust gases to build up could be frightening in traffic. Sluggish acceleration for eternity, then whooska, the turbo kicked in and you were halfway to Ballina.
Anyway, Subaru has long had a handle on turbocharged, all-wheel drive cars including the respected WRX sedans and hatchbacks.
The Levorg is seen as more the descendant of Subaru’s Liberty GT wagon, also a quick and sporting drive with the comforts and road manners to accommodate a family.
There’s some toned-down WRX style around the front of the Levorg which then segues into a smooth wagon profile.
This wagon at almost 4.6m long and 1.7m wide isn’t quite as big on the outside as that Liberty.
Subaru’s tape measures reckon the Levorg has more space on the inside.
And inside there are more sporting nuances, with the D-shaped, flat-bottomed steering wheel and its almost bewildering host of buttons.
Most important for the driver will be the SI-drive button – to be shifted between Intelligent, Sport and Sports Sharp for different engine and transmission responses for different driving styles.
It may not be a WRX – not quite as sharp in style or substance – but it’s a sporting machine. It has the go, it has the grip.
There is a let-down in the suspension; for the most part there’s a smooth ride but hit some sharper sections of tarmac and a bit more shock absorption would help.
There doesn’t appear to be quite enough suspension travel, front or rear, an issue not aided by the 18-inch wheels with 45 profile rubber. THUMBS UP Performance
THUMBS DOWN CVT “gearbox” GOT an old car gathering bat and pigeon poo? An old ute no longer useful? Old boat without an angler?
Well, charity crowd Kids Under Cover, with the aid of Manheim Auctions, can turn beat-up machines, strange old trucks – even unwanted boats and planes – into a tax deduction. For free.
The national youth homelessness prevention charity Kids Under Cover is about to receive its 15,000th car donation since it started collecting in 2006 to raise funds.
Some 1025 have come out of Queensland and, in all, these donated cars have driven more than 1.8 billion km.
The most popular car picked up has been the Ford Falcon. The most popular colour for all cars has been white, followed by blue, with purple, orange and yellow the least seen. And the most expensive car donated was a 1982 Porsche 911, auctioned for $22,000.
Under the Donate Your Car program, 100 per cent of sales proceeds head to Kids Under Cover and its work in preventing youth homelessness.
Would-be donors complete an online form and their old car, bike or boat is removed – at a time that suits them and for free. The vehicle is auctioned through auction partner Manheim.
All donors can receive a taxdeductible receipt based on the amount the vehicle is sold for at auction, with cars, vans, trucks, motorcycles, caravans and boats on trailers all accepted.
The Donate Your Car program is a free and easy way to do something good while getting rid of that hassle on the footpath.
Kids Under Cover builds bedroom studios for at-risk young people, in the backyards of families’ and carers’ homes, helping them stay connected to support networks.