Subaru Levorg 1.6 GT. Rally station wagon?
A 1,6-litre Boxer with 170 horses, distinctive pleasures on an aesthetic grill and a racing soul. Will the Subaru Levorg convince the doubters?
Go your own way
Subaru proves once again that it prefers to go its own way. Boxer and all-wheel drive are still in the first place for the Japanese manufacturer, regardless of the type of body that can be found in the company's portfolio. This time it was a station wagon.
Levorg - whose name comes from Legacy, Revolution i tourism is a replacement for the Legacy, based on solutions known from the Forester and the XV model. And what competitors' products does the new Shinjuku-based offering face? If you look at the price of the car, it will not be difficult to guess that the Levorg shelf is among the other Volvo V60 and Mazda 6 Tourer. Of course, Subaru features an unconventional 4-cylinder engine layout and symmetrical all-wheel drive, while remaining at the same level in terms of prestige and purchase price. It is also worth remembering that in Subaru you can only choose ... color. The manufacturer imposes on us one version of the engine and one version of the equipment.
constellation magic
However, Subaru has always had to be looked at a little differently. These cars remain a separate category, gathering a lot of enthusiasts around the Pleiades emblem - both among current and potential users. To be honest, this was the first time I got behind the wheel of a Subaru and I didn't really want to change to another car. It wasn't about the community - because I'm not going to go into details with the test car - but about driving pleasure in a broader sense.
The first impression is brilliant. The car rides well, holding corners well even at high speeds, while offering a good selection of bumps. If I could compare the Subaru's driving feel to any noun, I'd point to "confidence." Maybe "trust". That's what the new Levorg awakens in the driver.
Only after some time we notice that the steering system is not as precise as in the famous WRX STI (despite the use of an identical floor plate) - but is it really what we expect from a car that is supposed to fulfill a family function? All the distinctive features of the brand are available to the rally fathers, including the standard paddles next to the steering wheel. The steering process has been slightly neutralized, so that not every millimeter movement translates into the turning of the wheels.
The appearance of our station wagon is certainly important, since the Levorg resembles only its shape. The designers have definitely left their mark on rallying here with the introduction of 18-inch wheels and a powerful air intake on the hood. In this way, we get a very clear reference to the Event and the entire brand heritage. From an aesthetic point of view, the only factor that I do not understand is the chrome strip visible on both sides, ending in front of the C-pillar. It lacks decisiveness - because, in my opinion, it should delineate the entire line of the body. window.
Modernity mixed with old-fashioned
Exactly. A brilliant first impression of sitting behind a beefy, perfectly comfortable steering wheel will be overshadowed once you notice the vintage heated seat buttons. These, in turn, contrast with the large carbon insert visible above the glovebox, but the modern feel is again offset by the out-of-fashion ISR system controller. In its usefulness, I do not even dare to doubt. However, I don't understand why the tool hasn't been more integrated into the car. An interesting fact - ISR in Subaru is the same as Sat Assist in the VAG group and Safety System in the Kia brand. The second interesting fact is that it was Subaru who initiated their introduction to the Polish market.
I am also not a supporter of the implementation of a glossy touchscreen coating, which not only collects fingerprints more easily, but is also less readable in adverse lighting conditions. To the multimedia system itself, as well as to the second on-board computer located above, I have no special comments. Annoying only the need to reset using a similar screensaver on the clock.
So while the Levorg can be liked both from the outside and inside, it is hard not to consider it a product full of contrasts. And, importantly, some savings can be found in the latter.
Acceptable living area
It is impossible to cling to the comfort guaranteed by the seats, which firmly support the driver and passengers while cornering. It is, in a way, a harbinger of further discovering the perfect fit of individual elements - nothing in the Levorg does not creak, bend or generate undesirable sounds. The vast majority of materials and finishes are soft. Here, Subaru can only deduct points for not having the option of electrically adjusting the passenger seat, available only to the driver.
But passengers won't be disappointed. The Levorg may be smaller on the outside than the Outback, but the amount of space is very similar. However, this does not mean that Subaru will outperform the competition - the new Mondeo or Mazda 6 offer more legroom.
Staying at the proposed space, let's look into the trunk - 522 liters of capacity is slightly less than in the old Legacy. Having folded the sofa, we get 1446 liters - again less than in the Mazda 6, but more than in the Swedish V60.
Externally, the car has a length of 4690-1780 mm, a width of 1490-135 mm and a height of 1,5 mm with a ground clearance of mm and a weight of just over a ton.
A little about the engine
Scenario one - I drive around the city and I don't care. I have a car with perfect suspension, aggressive yet aesthetic appearance, fairly responsive steering and a smooth CVT. I train here, I run there, I overtake here, I accelerate there.
And then I had a heart attack when I saw that combustion hovered dangerously around 15-17 liters.
Scenario number two - I save on everything. I just graze the gas, turn off the air conditioning, and carefully walk every meter. The fuel consumption is then around 7-8 liters, but the inability to accelerate hurts.
On average, fuel consumption in the city should be around 10-11 liters. And the computer in Subaru should be trusted, because it measures the appetite for gasoline with an accuracy of 0,2 liters per hundred kilometers.
When driving at a constant speed of 90 km / h, set by the car clock, fuel consumption should not exceed 6,4 liters. If you go to the track and accelerate to about 140 km / h, the result will be almost twice as high - over 11 liters.
1,6-liter DIT turbocharged engine with 170 hp and 250 Nm of maximum torque gives us enough power. Accelerating to “hundreds”, equal to 8,9 seconds, we may not feel how the plane crashes into the seat, but we definitely won’t have any reason to complain.
Real Subaru? Of course!
The CV-T Lineartronic continuously variable transmission tries to keep the revs as low as possible in I mode (recommended for economical driving), visibly raising them when we activate the sport mode. In "S" the gearbox also works better with the car, especially if we focus on dynamic driving. And that's when - at higher revs, at higher speeds and tighter corners - we get everything that Subaru has to offer. Complete precision, complete confidence and a feeling of complete familiarity with the car. In this case, in fact, a person and a machine can have a happy, long-term relationship.
Even if you have to pay a minimum of 28 for your pair. euro.
