Levorg Review Thread

genrex

Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2014
Messages
30
Location
Puyallup, WA
Review of the 1.6 prototype. Kinda meh reveiw, but a review none the less.

Subaru Levorg 1.6GT Prototype Review: “Regular Gasoline Turbo is Admirable,” by Youichi Morohoshi

One of the cars that started to gain popularity at the Tokyo Motor Show, the Subaru Levorg Prototype, was the focus of my most recent test drive.

The venue was the Twin Ring Motegi. However, for the 1.6 liter model, this was not on the main course, but at an outer circuit. I wanted to get an impression of how the car would drive on more average roads.

The 1.6 liter engine equipped by the car was a horizontally opposed 4-cylinder direct injection turbo. Despite this, I was pleased the Levorg had the same fuel economy as the regular gasoline model. In cars where regular specifications and hi-octane specifications have the same mileage, if regular fuel costs ¥150/ liter and hi-octane ¥161/ liter, that amounts to cost performance being 7% better for the regular model. The reason why the majority of people want a fuel efficient car is not to be economical in terms of gas, but in terms of gasoline powered “vehicles”... after all.

Now, for the 1.6 liter engine. I think the 170 horse power and catalogue numbers are plenty powerful. And, actually driving the car, I didn’t think the drive betrayed those values. The turbo engine that uses a high compression ratio doesn’t feel like it’s turbo charging. The same feel as a 2 liter (+α) naturally aspirated engine, it offers an immediate acceleration.

The car took on speed quickly at the test course, and I believe it would show the same performance without much effort in other similar driving situations.

The Levorg I test drove equipped the regular suspension, which worked fine and gripped the road well. Still, its slight stiffness concerned me a little. A drive a little bit more agile and flexible would probably be more suiting a wagon.

Packaging: ★★★★
Interior/ Livability: ★★★★
Power Source; ★★★★
Footwork: ★★★
Recommendation: ★★★★

Youichi Morohoshi | Automotive Journalist

After working as an editor at an automotive magazine, he became a freelance journalist at the age of 23. In his late 20's, he competed in the Fuji Freshman Race for 7 years. He's also competent in motorsports photography and works as a photo journalist. His hobbies include cooking.
http://en.responsejp.com/article/2014/01/30/216159.html

And another...

Subaru Prototype Levorg review: "Subarists have a whole new option" by Hiroshi Matsushita

The market release of Subaru's new prototype Levorg is set for May of 2014. Despite the fact that I test drove this car in irregular conditions, I learned a lot from the experience.

The station wagon Levorg, which has been regarded as "another hit just like the Legacy" from Subaru by the Japanese market is a result of the car's 25th full model change.

The body size is similar to the previous generation's Legacy. The width has been expanded by 50mm to a broad 1780mm. That's pretty much the same as the current Legacy model. As an exclusive for the domestic market, I would have preferred it a bit smaller, but just because it hasn't exceeded 1800mm doesn't mean that it gets the stamp of failure.

Even though the car's total length is 100mm shorter than the current Legacy model, Subaru has made no sacrifices with the interior, and even the luggage space is bigger by just a hair than the current model. Subaru is striving to make this the most ideal package ever.

There are two engine models available. The standard direct-injection turbo model which is 1.6 liters and is suited for fuel consumption. The second is 2.0 liters and it's more suited for performance, evident from its image.

Actually driving them, the 1.6 liter had more than enough power. The Driving Performance was an impressive 125kW/250Nm which brings it on par with a 2.5 liter natural intake type engine. Not just this, but comparing it to Legacy's 2.5 liter engine, I feel that it excels in many areas of fuel consumption.

The Subaru company measurements for the JC08 mode broke 17.4km per liter. Running at this consumption rate, you could reach a cruising distance of around 1000km, a spectacularly long drive.

In the past, the Legacy sold extremely well due to its improved usability, maneuvering was a breeze thanks to full time 4WD and on top of that the sporty GT drive of the installed DOHC brought everything together.

It's been said that the Levorg has been produced to match with current generation just like the wildly popular Legacy once was. Its main plus is that it's a new model which has been installed with the brand new EyeSight.

Coming from a "Subarist" point of view, this new model is a welcomed new option compared to the overly large sized American-market oriented Legacy.

■5-star Rating
Packaging: ★★★★
Interior/ Livability: ★★★★
Power Source: ★★★★
Footwork: ★★★★
Recommendation: ★★★★

Hiroshi Matsushita | Car Critic

Born in 1951 in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture. Former journalist for the car industry and editor of a car magazine, now a freelancer. Known for his strengths in economic discussions of cars and money, such as tax, insurance, and various expenses. Writes an online diary.
http://carnews.beforward.jp/searchs/detail/entry_id=217370/category=impression
 
Last edited:

Trippo

New Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2014
Messages
7
Location
Sydney Australia
Yeah saw this article today as well. Guessing the CVT is same as in new Rex, which has had some ok reviews and not as harsh as his comments. Also really surprised he says the 2.0 is tamer than the Rex because I thought it had more power, kind of in between wrx and STI levels. Some more feedback on drive vs wrx would be good as well, anyway hasn't dampened my enthusiasm.
 

A_Tang

New Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2014
Messages
6
Location
NJ
I'll wait to pass judgement on the CVT for after I've driven it. With regards to packaging in the U.S. market, I can't see why it can't have the same suspension and drivetrain as the '15 WRX.
 

Trippo

New Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2014
Messages
7
Location
Sydney Australia
Here's another test drive review in english, this one on the 1.6GT. Pretty brief description but offers some ok info.

Can't say I am a fan of the 17 inch's that this one rides on, they look cheap and nasty. Reckon if I went this model I'd be swapping those mags out pretty quickly.

Haven't seen images of a light interior before either, looks ok although the black with blue stitching would be my preference.

http://en.responsejp.com/article/2014/07/24/228430.html
 

A_Tang

New Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2014
Messages
6
Location
NJ
Can't say I am a fan of the 17 inch's that this one rides on, they look cheap and nasty. Reckon if I went this model I'd be swapping those mags out pretty quickly.
I think certain 17" wheels could be fine - I think the design plays a key part - if the spokes come all the way to the edge of the rim, the wheels look "large enough".
 

LordRichards

New Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2014
Messages
12
17's probably ride much better than 18s or 19s. Domestic Levorgs are apparently targeted at a "luxury" rather than a sporting niche.
Hopefully the export models will be equipped more for performance.
Especially manuals rather than CVT.
 

okeefe

New Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2015
Messages
2
Test drove the Levorg 1.6 with 18 inch rims in Turkey. Excellent car if you drive on highways with perfect asphalt. Otherwise horrible road noise ( worst than my 04 forester and 06 impreza) after 30km of test drive ended up with a headache
 

Sancho

New Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2015
Messages
18
Did two test drives with a Levorg over the last couple of months.
Compared to my XV it's more quiet, smoother, the interior trim feels a lot more upscale...
The 1.6 engine is decent for daily driving, but it's obviously not going to tear up the asphalt.
For me, it fixes the couple of things I like less about the XV.
I hope to sign the order slip next week.
 
Top