Subaru revealed a revamped Subaru Levorg estate at the Geneva motor show with the hope that the car's significant engineering changes will kick-start a renaissance of the company’s sales in the UK.
The Levorg has failed to fill the gap left by the Legacy estate. As a result, Subaru has lost a loyal band of customers that it now wants to recapture. The brand registered just 90 examples across Europe in January.
“We made a mis-step with the Levorg and made it too extreme, too sporty. It just wasn’t right for our customers,” said Torbjorn Lillrud, development director for IM Group, the UK Subaru importer.
A new higher-quality interior, retuned and comfort-oriented suspension and a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated Boxer petrol with a more relaxed power delivery are the three key changes.
Lillrud describes the new naturally aspirated engine, which replaces a peakier 1.6-litre turbo unit, as the heart of the Levorg’s refreshed character.
“The combination of that turbo engine and the firm suspension has been a real turn-off for customers,” said Lillrud.
The 2.0-litre unit makes 148bhp and 146lb ft of torque (down 20bhp and 38lb ft on the old unit) but is expected to be considerably more efficient. It’s mated to Subaru’s Lineartronic CVT gearbox and all-wheel drive.
Subaru also showed the revamped Subaru XV at Geneva and a hybrid version of the Forester, known as the e-Boxer.
Together, the XV and Forester contribute nearly three-quarters of Subaru’s UK sales, but Lillrud is also targeting more sales from its four other models – the Levorg, Impreza, Subaru BRZ and Subaru Outback.
Read more:
Subaru Forester e-Boxer 2019 review
Subaru Viziv Adrenaline previews future XV crossover
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Please listen to existing Subaru drivers
I drive the current Levorg and there is a lot to like but I share the views in the majority of comments. The body control is great at speed but the ride is too jittery at low speeds around town. Subaru should be increasing the power and torque, not reducing it with an NA 2.0l. The existing chassis could certainly handle much more power. The CVT is smooth for touring and the wide torque band of the 1.6 gives enough pull in most situations but...this is not a drivers car. The CVT gearbox works best with progressive use of the right foot and the handling and traction allow you to carry the speed effectively through corners. The internal space versus external dimensions is excellent and as with all Subarus the build and reliability are excellent. Subaru UK may be constrained by emissions regulations across the entire range but don’t forgot your loyal UK drivers. Think Levorg with 250+ bhp (petrol hybrid would be fine) a manual gearbox and with an eye to the Legacy Spec B and you may be surprised by the response!
There is much to like,
But then there is the gearbox. With a manual, yes. With CVT? No way.
New Levorg
Subaru seem to have completely lost the plot in the UK. Almost all of their cars currently on sale have 0-60 times of 12+ seconds. They're too slow, Subaru buyers want fast cars.