SUBARU LEVORG

Hurtling down gravel roads and controlling her all-wheel drive Subaru WRX with surgeon-like precision, Molly Taylor never waivers in her commitment.

Last year the 29-year-old became the first female — and the youngest — winner of the Australian Rally Championship after the tightest title tussle in 25 years.

During 2017 she is once again behind the wheel of a Subaru.

Sharing the same underpinnings as the vehicle piloted by Molly, the recently updated Subaru Levorg wagon is powered by a choice of a 125kw 1.6-litre turbo (starting from $35,990), while there are also two variants partnered to the WRX’S 197kw 2.0-litre turbo from $49,140.

Minor exterior changes see the MY18 Levorg wear LED headlights and higher quality LED fog lights.

Inside, and there is a larger 5.9-inch infotainment display (up from 4.3-inch), front sensors, rain sensing wipers and it is also the first Subaru to feature 40/20/40 split folding rear seats.

Under the skin, and Levorg GT Premium, GT-S and STI Sport will get smoother ride comfort while retaining sporty capabilities, through the updated Bilstein suspension.

Another debut feature for Subaru is the Auto Vehicle Hold, which means drivers no longer have to keep their foot on the brake pedal in situations like traffic congestion, traffic lights or when stopped on hills.

Instead, Vehicle Dynamics Control takes over, maintaining brake fluid pressure to keep the car in position.