2020 Subaru Levorg revealed

UPDATED - Subaru has snatched the sheet off the prototype version of the second-generation Levorg station wagon at the Tokyo Motor Show.

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2020 Subaru Levorg prototype

The five-seat, four-door Levorg acts as the de facto wagon for the Impreza range, and it first came to Australia in 2016.

However, it was always a bit of a compromised car, arriving very late in the previous Impreza’s model cycle and suffering from some ill-mannered handling traits as a result.

Based on the shots from the show, this is a very late-stage, production-ready prototype; the basic shape mimics that of the current Levorg, save for some massaging of the front end to suit those gorgeous LED headlights, new bonnet and front guards as well as a more prominent grille.

There’s also a lot more detail down the sides of the car, which follows across to a newly styled rear bumper.

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Current Subaru Levorg

What will make the second-generation Levorg a lot better than the first, though, is the adoption of Subaru’s new modular platform, which is already used across the majority of its fleet including the Impreza, XV and Forester.

The billion-dollar platform has already improved the basic handling traits of Subaru’s best sellers and, given that the Levorg has emerged relatively early in the design cycle this time around, the issues that plagued the first-gen car – chiefly, too-short rear suspension towers that led to a harsh, choppy ride quality – will have been avoided.

The inclusion of a bonnet scoop on the Levorg prototype indicates a turbocharged engine is tucked away in there; an all-new 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder boxer engine - where the pistons lay almost flat, rather than sit vertically in the engine block - sits under the bonnet of the prototype, but no power or torque figures were revealed.

It will replace the current Levorg’s 1.6-litre turbocharged engine, given the current car is based on the previous generation Impreza platform.

Inside, expect to see a similar layout to the current Impreza, while Subara’s excellent EyeSight safety system will score another update.

The new Levorg will launch in Japan late in 2020, which means a late 2021 start in Australia.

Subaru also revealed a final-edition WRX STi at the Tokyo Motor Show today.

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