2017 Subaru Levorg range to grow with 1.6 turbo and STI flagship

Subaru Australia will update its Levorg medium sedan in July, with a substantial model-year change that’s set to bring in lower-cost mainstream versions powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine , as well as an STI-badged performance flagship.

Since its local debut 11 months ago, the Subaru Levorg has only been available with a single engine/transmission configuration and a starting price of $43,240.

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With the 197kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo four of the WRX under its vented bonnet, the current Levorg 2.0GT and 2.0GT-S is too powerful and costly to be considered a direct rival to garden-variety medium wagons like the Hyundai i40 and Mazda 6. Rather, it’s slanted more toward enthusiasts than regular drivers.

That will change in July with the arrival of the Levorg 1.6GT and 1.6GT-S, which are both expected to be equipped to a similar level as their two-litre stablemates, but priced in the $30-40k bracket to improve their mainstream appeal.

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The 125kW 1.6-litre turbocharged flat-four engine that’s already available in Japanese- and European-market Levorgs is a key part of keeping that cost of entry down, with an added side benefit of reduced fuel consumption. Like the 2.0-litre variants, the sole transmission will be a CVT automatic and power will be channelled to all four wheels – 17-inch items on the 1.6GT and 18-inches on the 1.6GT-S.

Australian pricing is still under wraps, but it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect the 1.6-litre Levorg to begin in the low $30k range, thus making it an easy step up from the range-topping Impreza.

A flagship Levorg 2.0 STI Sport will also join the range in July, applying a range of cosmetic – and potentially some mild chassis enhancements – to the 2.0GT-S variant.

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With prominent STI badging in its front grille and on its tailgate, the STI Sport will be one for enthusiasts who also demand a practical wagon body style, though performance stats are expected to be identical to the regular 2.0-litre models.

Power for Levorg 2.0s isn’t expected to deviate from the current model’s 197kW and 350Nm, and a CVT automatic is expected to continue to be the only transmission offering across the range.

Expect full details and pricing to be revealed closer to the 2017 Subaru Levorg’s local launch in July.

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