New Subaru Levorg: prices, specs and release date

The new Subaru Levorg is set to go on sale in the UK in September and prices will start at £27,495. The car was on stand at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year and is effectively a replacement for the Subaru Legacy Tourer, which is no longer available to buy in the UK.

With the Levorg, Subaru has its sights locked on other mid-sized estate cars like the Mazda 6 Tourer and Volvo V60.

Subaru has confirmed the Levorg will be offered with a 1.6-litre petrol boxer engine, which will send power to all four wheels.

Engines and running costs

Subaru’s new 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol boxer engine produces 167bhp and will be the only engine available to UK customers when the Levorg goes on sale in September. Despite the engine’s relatively small size, Subaru says it delivers the same performance as the 2.5-litre petrol engine available in other Subaru models.

The new engine will be linked to a seven-speed automatic gearbox and a four-wheel drive system to get the Levorg from 0-62mph in 8.9 seconds.

Despite increasing demand among UK customers for diesel engines in larger cars, no such engine is planned for the Levorg. Subaru fans seeking diesel power will need to take a look at the Subaru Outback or Subaru XV.

Japanese buyers will be given the option of a more powerful 2.0-litre turbocharged engine capable of producing almost 300bhp. While there’s no sign that this engine will be made available to UK buyers, it certainly helps to align the Levorg with Subaru’s past glories in world rallying.

Sadly for those hoping to recreate the glory days of Subaru Impreza-style domination in rallying, it looks highly unlikely at this stage that a Subaru Levorg WRX or more powerful Levorg STI will be built.

Subaru says the Levorg is capable of returning an average fuel economy figure of “almost 40mpg”. With a CO2 emissions figure of 164g/km, owners can expect to pay around £180 per year in road tax.

No diesel model is currently planned, and while the firm does have hybrid technology offered in other models offered overseas, it is unlikely that we will see a Subaru Levorg Hybrid any time soon.

Styling

Designers of the Levorg looked to the fourth-generation Subaru Legacy - Subaru's most popular model ever - rather than the more recent fifth-generation, when it came to drawing up the new car.

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Traces of the older Legacy can be seen all over the Levorg. Sharp lines and an angular face, coupled with the classic Subaru bonnet vent scoop and 18-inch alloy wheels give the Levorg a mildly sporty look. Despite this, Subaru says the Levorg has been conceived as a practical and safe family estate.

Interior and equipment specs

The new Levorg will be available in just one trim level, called ‘GT’, when it goes on sale. The GT trim promises to give owners plenty of equipment as standard, including 18-inch alloy wheels, tinted windows, sports seats, Bluetooth connectivity, dual-zone air-conditioning, cruise control, keyless entry and push button start.

Subaru has managed to make a car that offers more space than the larger and bulkier fifth-generation Legacy while delivering it as a more compact package.

Inside, passengers will be greeted by a well-finished interior. Cheap-looking plastics that often drew criticism in previous Subarus appear few and far between.

The back seats provide plenty of leg and headroom, meaning taller adults should be comfortable on longer journeys. Boot space is good and a simple push of a button folds down the rear seats to free up 1,446 litres of storage space.

Up front, the instruments are clear and easy to read, and the seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, housed in the centre console, is a huge improvement when compared to Subaru’s previous systems.

Driving

We're yet to drive the Levorg in the UK, but we have driven the car briefly overseas. The car was also a 'early' model, meaning it may still be tweaked for UK tastes.

Subaru says it looked at performance models such as the Subaru BRZ and Audi S3 when developing the Levorg. Our brief drive on a test track revealed the car to have accurate and well-weighted steering.

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The 1.6-litre engine is quiet and smooth, and provides plenty of power lower down the rev range for pulling away quickly. We'll deliver a full verdict when we drive the car in the UK next month.

Safety

Families will most likely choose the Subaru Levorg for the practicality offered by its estate layout, making the Levorg’s safety credentials particularly important. Subaru says it expects the Levorg to gain the full five stars when Euro NCAP puts the car through its various safety tests.

Four-wheel drive will provide drivers with extra grip when roads are slippery and all the modern safety features you find on other cars are also present. The Subaru Rear Vehicle Detection system that includes Blind-Spot Detection, Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Alert should help drivers to avoid accidents.

Prices and launch date

Subaru has confirmed prices for the Levorg will start at £27,495. Although that is significantly more than an entry-level Volvo V60 or Mazda 6 Estate, it does reflect the fact that the Levorg comes with more equipment as standard.

The Levorg will go on sale in the UK in September 2015.