New Levorg in line for more powerful WRX engine

Friday, 26 February 2021

The next generation of Subaru Levorg will also benefit from the WRX’s forthcoming power up, Australian executives have reportedly confirmed.

Speaking to carsales, Subaru Australia’s national corporate affairs manager, David Rowley, said that the localised version of the Levorg will “take on a slightly different form which potentially will appeal to a more performance-orientated audience.”

That’s a response to the fact that Japanese buyers get the Levorg with a 130kW/300Nm 1.8-litre turbo-petrol boxer.

The new Levorg was revealed last year in Japan but we haven’t yet heard about the local specifications.

It’s expected that the WRX will get a 2.4-litre turbocharged boxer four making somewhere north of 200kW. This version of the engine will also power the Australian (and, probably, New Zealand) spec Levorg.

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It seems that the new WRX will lend its engine to the Levorg, meaning Subaru’s mid-size wagon will have some proper power this time around.

* Subaru officially confirms next-generation WRX STI

* Subaru bids farewell to the Legacy

The interior gets a small update but that new infotainment screen should make quite a bit of difference.

* Next-gen Subaru Levorg debuts with WRX looks

* Subaru WRX and STI getting new engines

There will be an even higher-output version too, destined for the WRX STI. It is said to be spitting out 298kW of power and nearly 500Nm of torque, putting the STI right up against the Toyota GR Supra and the forthcoming Nissan 400Z.

Of course, these are all still rumours for the time being, aside from the JDM specifications. They do hold some ground though, given the New Zealand Levorg uses the same 197kW/350Nm flat four as found in the local WRX.

The new Levorg was revealed in Japan last year, with sharper headlights, a slightly different grille with a new bar through the middle and a more square bonnet scoop. Around the back are flatter taillights while the profile gets more pronounced creases across the lower section.

Inside is largely the same as before, aside from the addition of the potrait-oriented 11.6-inch fully digital infotainment system and the 12.3-inch instrument cluster. The EyeSight active safety suite is included as well.

Under the skin is the Subaru Global Platform, which translates into a larger footprint by 65mm in length, the wagon now measuring 4755mm. Around 20mm of that comes from a lengthened wheelbase, which stretches 2670mm. There’s more space in the boot, 561 litres now, an increase of 72 litres.

We should get all the local details for the new Levorg later this year.