MODEST EVOLUTION
Subaru’s Levorg compact estate keeps its recreational concept with no need for stilts.
It looks so evolutionary in design … When it comes to redesigning cars in their new generations, Subaru is usually conservative. The Levorg compact estate is no exception. Ignore the prototype moniker you see here in official pictures; this is basically the second-generation Levorg that’s due in showrooms in late 2020, according to the Japanese car maker.
Apart from looking so similar in profile to today’s five-year-old model, the next Levorg has those angular details seen in today’s Forester, Impreza and XV.
Likewise, the new Levorg shares the so-called Subaru Global Platform with the aforementioned trio, yielding the benefits of a more rigid body and quieter cabin under cruising.
The interior has yet to be revealed, but expect the Levorg to feature the latest in infotainment, connectivity and driver-assist tech, the last one bundled in the brand’s EyeSight package.
Is it still all-wheel drive?
Look closely at the rear pic and note that the Levorg is still being touted as allwheel drive. Of course, AWD estates aren’t uncommon, but they could be when such drive hardware is standard.
The Levorg continues its recreational concept without needing to be on stilts; Subaru’s current offerings with high bodies include the XV and Forester SUVs, plus the Outback jacked-up estate.
Subaru has been using full-time allwheel drive for quite a long time already, so it remains to be seen whether some advancements will be made in the production-ready model.
The German luxury camp, for one, is now offering all-wheel-drive systems that not only automatically juggle torque between the front and rear axles, but also from the left to right wheels.
Expect the automatic transmission to be a relative of the brand’s CVT with manual override.
Has its performance been electrified?
Subaru hasn’t mentioned anything about this, saying only that a newly developed 1.8-litre petrol-turbo direct-injected engine appears under the bonnet of the Levorg in the interest of “balanced acceleration and environmental performance”. Today’s Levorg is powered by a 170hp 1.6-litre motor featuring the same type of ancillaries as in that newer 1.8-litre. So, contrary to current trends, it’s almost like an engine-upsizing exercise — if you don’t consider the availability of the performance-oriented 2.0-litre producing nearly 300hp.
Subaru has hybrid know-how but currently limits it to the XV and Forester in other global markets. In fact, it’s these two models that stand a better chance of selling in Thailand with competitive prices within 1.5 million baht. Unlike those two Subarus, the Levorg is an import from Japan retailing from 1.8 million baht. Even so, the Levorg is far more attractively priced than estates from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.