Tokyo 2013: Subaru Levorg Sports Tourer – just a prototype in name, launching next year

Subaru Levorg TMS-8

One of the earliest unveilings today at 2013 Tokyo Motor Show was this, the Subaru Levorg. Officially billed as a prototype, it’s a production car in all but name. To be launched in Japan in the first quarter of next year, local pre-orders start in January 2014.

The name ‘Levorg’ comes from a combination of the words ‘Legacy’, ‘Revolution’ and ‘Touring’, though there’s no official mention of the Levorg being the wagon version of the sixth-gen Legacy, and it’s slightly smaller in size compared to the current fifth-gen Legacy Touring Wagon. At 4,690 mm long, the Levorg is 85 mm shorter, and the 2,650 mm wheelbase is a full 100 mm less. Subaru says that the Levorg’s size is just right for Japanese roads, and that it’s roomy enough. It appears the size is more like a new Impreza wagon than a Legacy wagon.

Subaru Levorg TMS-10

The ‘Sports Tourer’ looks sportier than the Legacy wagon too, with a deliberately sloped roofline and a new face featuring the brand’s latest signatures – a hexagon grille and ‘hawk eye’ headlamps. The upcoming Subaru WRX will also wear the same mask. The two colours on show – metallic blue grey steel and pearl crystal white – have never been used by Subaru production cars before.

Under the Levorg’s scooped hood is a new downsized 1.6 litre Boxer DIT engine. The direct injection turbo unit has a strong 170 PS and 250 Nm of torque. With a JC08 fuel consumption figure of 17.4 km/l, the Levorg 1.6 GT can cruise at 100 km/h for 1,000 km on one tank of fuel, it is claimed.

The flagship Levorg 2.0 GT is powered by a 2.0 litre Boxer DIT engine with up to 300 PS and 400 Nm from 2,000 rpm. This performance motor runs on premium gasoline and uses a new Sport Lineartronic CVT gearbox with eight virtual ratios. The 1.6 is paired to the standard Lineartronic ‘box.

Subaru Levorg TMS-16

Another difference between 1.6 and 2.0 models is in SI-Drive, which has two modes for the 1.6 and three for the 2.0, the extra being Sport# or S#. Subaru’s symmetrical AWD is standard across the board, of course.

The Levorg comes with the latest version of Subaru’s EyeSight tech, which employs new stereo cameras with a wider angle, better visibility and colour recognition. New features such as Active Lane Keep, Pre-Collision Reverse Throttle Management and Brake Light Recognition join improved Pre-Collision Braking Control and Adaptive Cruise Control.

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • sam69 on Nov 20, 2013 at 3:10 pm

    one sexy attrage! good job mitsu!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 43
  • ss427 on Nov 20, 2013 at 3:28 pm

    An Impreza station wagon?

    Hey why no one mentioned that this is a Jap Hyundai i40? LOL Except that the i40 looks better and have much better designed interior too

    And the i40 is bigger

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 35
    • Akira on Nov 20, 2013 at 4:15 pm

      Eh? U wat talking?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 0
    • K-Pop on Nov 20, 2013 at 5:07 pm

      Subaru is a real driver’s car, not ah beng show off car. I will take Subaru over Hyundai any day. I want my car to perform, drive, not beauty contest.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 20 Thumb down 3
  • Dreagon on Nov 20, 2013 at 3:57 pm

    i think the Hyundai i40 is only having a subjectively looks and comfort only.

    You can hardly find a good Korean car that is good for handling and come with oomph. Their car engine is not optimum sync tune with their gearbox, be it Kia Forte Koup or Hyundai 3 door monster hatch.

    This Subaru is of high performance, good handling yet fuel efficient.

    Subaru is a borned Legend. Korean??? are u serious?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 20 Thumb down 2
    • check the european’s review abt the i40 first be4 u comment….the i40s are designed by german’s based hyundai team specifically for the euro mkt(its best engine are the diesels & not the petrol which are being brought into msia) & its reknowned for its euro biased handlings…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 13
      • ss427 on Nov 20, 2013 at 4:32 pm

        The 2L Nu GDI engine is a fine engine seriously. Its more fuel efficent than the old Theta II and smoother too. Power o/p is outstanding for non race tuned NA engine.

        Yes the 1.7L CRDi is a gem… well I guess you have to make a trip to SG one of these days and flag down the i40 sedan taxi or the Premier Silvercab Kia Optima taxi to experience how great the oil burner is. Both uses 1.7L CRDi and 6AT

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 10
        • yup, wt those hyundai/kia…its their diesel which are the better engine both in term of FC & power….can easily beat trounce those vvti/ivtec in fc…yeap, their oil burner rocks

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • ss427 on Nov 20, 2013 at 4:34 pm

      Please test drive the i40 sedan/wagon when its available at your local Hyundai dealership… then you come back and tell me if Subaru boxer engines (minus their WRX/STI turbo versions) are great engines or not…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 17
      • kambinganas on Nov 20, 2013 at 7:46 pm

        Malangnya, the distributorship for both Subaru and Hyundai is going to screw us on the specs and pricing. Expect the maintenance for the i40 to cost a arm/leg and the new Legacy to come with 2-airbags. UMW, TCM and SD are on my ‘jangan beli’ list.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
      • Subaru flat boxer engines are mounted very looow to the ground, hence the car have very symmetric and low centre of gravity, super nice handling.

        the new Boxer direct injection is very awesome. Fat torque delivery. Screw those sampan handling Korean cars.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • even the so-called “cheap crap” Proton cars have much better handling, dynamics and performance than those sampan Korean cars..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • goodaymate! on Nov 20, 2013 at 4:06 pm

    front looks like inspira
    http://paultan.org/2011/11/02/proton-inspira-r3-new-bodykit-and-18-inch-wheels/

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 16 Thumb down 3
  • Mazda 6 rival.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 1
  • Spell LEVORG backwards and you get GROVEL

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • Pity ppl compare a hyundai i40 to this.
    Simple comparison, no need to wait. U just go test subaru forester vs santa fe now and see which one is better. Korean focus on looks, performance all out, in paper so good, in reality nope. Japanese on paper not so good, looks so-so, performance better that Korean. (I’m talking bout Subaru ya)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 1
  • PauKaya on Nov 20, 2013 at 11:22 pm

    i hope subaru would just stop with this CVT nonsense (ok to be fair the 8 speed CVT is pretty good i like it more than the dual clutch systems) and give us some manuals which are tuning friendly.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0
    • Car Very Torquey on Nov 21, 2013 at 1:43 am

      There’s 400 Nm of torque coming from the 2.0 T engine connected to a CVT? I used to think CVT can’t handle that huge amount of torque (I can only think of Nissan’s CVT in Murano and Elgrand 3.5 that handles over 300 Nm). That just shows the engineering and technical expertise of Subaru.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • PauKaya on Nov 21, 2013 at 9:04 am

        cvt often got too much slack for something rather good actually…if f1 had their way…CVT would have been used in f1 more often….google williams f1 cvt to find out about it

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
        • yup, CVT is good & smooth…thats why scooters been using them for years…hehehehe

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 2
  • Awesome looking car. But it looks very much like its rival, the Mitsubishi.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • front bumper screams: INSPIRAAAA

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 2
  • mobilespeed on Nov 22, 2013 at 6:48 pm

    LEVORG? sounds like an alien name from a movie…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • subarufan on Feb 26, 2014 at 12:28 pm

    will 1.6 DIT able to consume RON95?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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