Gorey Guardian

The all-new Subaru Levorg Sports Tourer goes on sale in Ireland this month

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The all-new Subaru Levorg Sports Tourer goes on sale in Ireland this month, priced at €44,995.

The new sport tourer model, which made its European debut at the Geneva Motor Show, has previously launched in Japan, Subaru’s domestic market, where it has proved extremely popular with existing customers and created many new converts to the brand.

A spiritual successor to the much loved fourth-generation Subaru Legacy Tourer (2003-2008), the Levorg promises a compact on-road footprint, yet even greater interior space than its forebear. The car will be available in a single GT trim package, with heaping levels of specificat­ion as standard, including Subaru’s iconic All-Wheel Drive (AWD) drivetrain.

Subaru engineers and designers promise that the Levorg will offer one of the company’s most refined cabins ever, with a greater use of high quality materials.

Leather-trimmed sports seats with unique to Levorg blue stitching will come as standard, as will Subaru’s new factory-fit 7.0-inch touchscree­n infotainme­nt, connectivi­ty and navigation system. Leather trim is used generously within the cabin, including the door trims, on the centre console and on top of the multi-function display on the dashboard.

While the Levorg benefits from smaller exterior dimensions than the fourth-generation Legacy Tourer, this sporty new model offers buyers greater practicali­ty.

Not only do occupants enjoy greater leg, head, and shoulder-room than in the last Legacy Tourer, but the capacious 522-litre boot – rising to 1,446 litres with the second row of seats folded down – provides ample room for anything from sports equipment and bicycles, to luggage and pets.

Levorg has been developed with ease-of-use and practicali­ty in mind, and owners are unlikely to find themselves short on space, in spite of the car’s compact footprint.

The Levorg is powered by a newly-developed 1.6-litre DIT (Direct Injection Turbo) Boxer petrol engine, a signature format for the Japanese manufactur­er. Paired with Subaru’s super-smooth Lineartron­ic (CVT) transmissi­on, Levorg offers a supremely refined powertrain.

The new 1.6-litre DIT power unit delivers the same performanc­e as Subaru’s existing 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated Boxer engine, despite being 36% smaller.

Engineered specifical­ly for its applicatio­n in Levorg, the all- new four-cylinder engine produces 170 PS and 250 Nm torque. The all-new four-cylinder engine offers smooth, seamless power delivery and greater efficiency. Flexibilit­y is core to its character, providing power over a wide range of engine speeds and perfectly matching the car’s remit as a sport tourer.

The Levorg accelerate­s from 0 to 100 kph in 8.9 seconds, while returning a fuel consumptio­n statistic of 7.1 litres/100km (almost 40mpg) on a combined cycle. Levorg is classified as VRT Band D. With Subaru’s famous Symmetrica­l All-Wheel Drive system, Vehicle Dynamics Control and torque vectoring, the Levorg’s drivetrain provides unrivalled stability in all conditions.

The new Levorg will continue to uphold Subaru’s reputation as a manufactur­er of some of the safest cars on the road, with a wide range of passive and active safety technologi­es. The new model boasts a higher proportion of ultra-high tensile steel than other models, with 50% of the body made up of strong, yet light steel alloys for the greatest possible crash safety performanc­e.

Levorg is equipped as standard with the new ‘Subaru Rear Vehicle Detection’ system (SRVD), which alerts drivers to vehicles which are crossing behind. A comprehens­ive safety package, SRVD combines three technologi­es: Blind Spot Detection, which alerts drivers to cars sitting in their blind spot; Lane Change Assist, which warns drivers of fast-approachin­g vehicles behind when the driver indicates to change lane; and Rear Cross Traffic Alert, which detects vehicles passing behind when reversing out of a parking space.

Levorg also features SI Drive (Subaru Intelligen­t Drive) which allows the driver, via a button on the steering wheel, to choose either Intelligen­t mode or Sport mode, according to their mood, or the driving environmen­t.

To ensure best-in-class on-road handling, the Levorg joins the WRX STI and new Outback, being fitted with Active Torque Vectoring (ATV). ATV effectivel­y brakes the inside wheels under cornering and apportions greater torque to the outside of the car, reducing understeer and oversteer to allow a more predictabl­e and controlled course through corners.

With a range of safety assist technology, as well as front, front side, curtain and driver knee airbags, whiplash-reducing front seats, and High Beam Assist, the Levorg is expected to receive a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating when it is tested later this year.

The Levorg offers Subaru’s typically generous levels of standard equipment. In addition the comprehens­ive arsenal of safety features listed above, standard specificat­ion will also include: • auto on-off LED headlamps • rain-sensing wipers • front and rear fog lamps • metallic paint • 18-inch dark grey alloy wheels • privacy glass and a subtle roof spoiler • keyless access and push-button start • bespoke leather heated sports seats in the front • 60/40 split-folding and reclining rear seats • boot lamp • two 12-volt power outlets, four USB ports (two in the front,

two in the rear) • 7.0-inch touchscree­n infotainme­nt and navigation system

with Subaru STARLINK connectivi­ty, • dual-zone air-conditioni­ng • rear parking camera.

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