2018 Subaru Levorg

By Alex Forrest

Sporty station wagons are nothing new, but they have in recent years received a resurgence of interest from exponents of the low-slung long roof keen to buck the SUV trend. 

There’s a tremendous amount to like in this still somewhat under-the-radar category. There’s more space behind the seats than in a hatchback, but the wagon retains far more sporting ability than the physics of a higher-riding SUV would allow. 

The Subaru Levorg is among a number of options in the sporty wagon arena, where it competes for sales with wagon incarnations of the Skoda Octavia, the Volkswagen Golf, Renault Megane and Holden Astra. 

Subaru has updated the Levorg for 2018, endowing it with more gear but also making it more affordable by introducing a 1.6-litre turbo version, which is $8000 cheaper than the previous entry level Levorg. 

At 125kW and 250Nm, the 1.6 turbo’s outputs are notably less than those of the 2.0-litre turbo’s 197kW and 350Nm. 

However, the 1.6 also requires fewer inputs, both in its purchase price of $40,580 and at the petrol pump. In the ADR test, the 1.6-litre Levorg uses 7.4L/100km whereas the 2.0-litre needs 8.7L/100km.

The cheapest of the 2.0-litre Levorgs, being the 2.0 GT-S, will cost almost $15,000 more, at $55,280 drive away. 

This latest Levorg also introduces some important safety gear, including the option on higher-spec models of a rear view mirror which can utilise the rear camera to see behind the vehicle where the view from the regular mirror is obscured by cargo or passengers. 

This differs from the regular rear camera in that it also can be utilised while the vehicle is moving forward. It’s called the Smart View Mirror, and the regular or Smart View mode can be selected via a switch on the mirror. 

All new Levorgs also get active LED headlights, meaning the beams move with the steering inputs. 

Indeed, the Levorg is now an even more convincing alternative to the myriad SUV options. Especially given the other new addition to the line-up is the range-topping STI Sport, which gets a dedicated wheel design, badges and other aesthetics, although no performance upgrade.