Subaru Levorg Review: 2016 Model | Levorg | Car Buyers Guide

New Subaru Levorg Review

Remember the Subaru Legacy Tourer? It was pretty popular here in Ireland, and even now, 8 years on from when they stopped building it, there are a few to be spotted on our shores. Well, the "spiritual successor" of the Legacy has just been launched. Meet the Subaru Levorg. That's right, it sounds like something that you might order in an off-licence, but the Levorg might just have enough to satisfy fans of its predecessor.

For years the Impreza was posted on many bedroom walls, and plenty of them could be seen zooming around the country. Then came the recession, and like a lot of manufacturers they had to tighten the purse strings. Subaru were never big marketing spenders in Ireland and tightening the purse strings pretty-much diminished their spending power. They stayed through our recession and while they may not be the most visible cars on our roads, there are very few negative things you would hear about them. Things are changing, manufacturers are spending more on marketing and the fact that Subaru Ireland has decided to take the risk of selling the new Levorg in the Irish market was in my eyes a good move.

So, why a good move you ask? Well, I think Ireland is very slowly getting around to the estate-car way of thinking, and the Levorg mixes good looks with practicality and power. There's plenty lo like about the Levorg. Take for example the intercooler scoop, it mightn't appeal to the masses, but it'll probably appeal to Subaru fans. Take the newly designed rear, it's curvaceous and holds new lights. The interior is spacious and the front cabin is as roomy as you'll need. The adventurer will be endeared by all of these things.

The infotainment system holds the same type of graphics that you'd find in any new Honda, but for some reason I didn't feel that the touchscreen was responsive enough to the touch. Apart from that though, the driver’s seat was easily adjustable and there's good boot space, which means that bringing the family away for a week won't be a problem.

On the road this all-wheel drive grips impressively and cornering is done with absolute ease. Like the WRX STI, this bus is fitted with Active Torque Vectoring, which applies the brakes to inside wheels while cornering and gives more torque to the outside wheels. This in turn reduces understeer and oversteer. The Levorg loves flat country bends and it really is spectacular - that is... until you throw in a bit of uneven surfacing. The bad news is that the suspension set-up does not like bumps and if you meet a series of them on the terrain in front of you, you would be wise to slow right down. Otherwise you may experience a bit too much bounce. The all-wheel drivetrain is good, but the Levorg has a low ground clearance, so while this car will get you up slopes and out of some muddy or icy conditions, don’t expect to be climbing walls in it.

The Levorg comes with a brand new engine – the 1.6 litre DIT Boxer. This Direct Injection Turbo set-up is surprisingly good and its 4-cylinders supply an output of 170hp. The power delivery is eager and if you were to put the foot down you would go from 0-100km/h in just 8.9 seconds. The downside of the petrol set-up mixed with the all-wheel drive system is that the Levorg is a thirsty machine. In fairness to Subaru though, the Levorg I was test driving came with an on-paper fuel economy of 7.1 litre per 100km (40mpg). I got to 7.6 l/100km (37mpg) – which isn’t too far off their figure.

One of my favourite features of the new Subaru Levorg, apart from the intercooler scoop, is the Lineartronic CVT transmission. I usually give out about these things, in the Levorg though, it is very smooth. 

The interior is presented excellently and is only available in GT Trim. This trim is impressive and while the leather seats are comfortable, it’s the blue stitching that stands out most. The infotainment system has similar graphics on the touch screen that you’d find in new Honda models, and the system is intuitive. However, the touch screen is not as responsive as I’d like and it may take more than one touch to flick from function to function. The steering wheel controls are easy to use and the layout of the instrument binnacle is attractive. Another GT-line benefit is the chromed pedals -  they look the part.

Space to the front and rear is good and I have no complaints about head or leg room. The boot is a nice size too at 522litres and the hidden storage compartments are large and practical.

The Levorg comes to the Irish market at €44,995 and is only available with that 1.6 litre petrol engine. It burns 164 g/co2 per km and costs €570 per annum.

The Levorg is a good car, it has an appearance that will certainly appeal to Subaru fans and the drive is excellent. Where this car trips up is on uneven surfaces, and as a driver who doesn’t like filling up too often, the fuel economy is not on my salary.

For: CVT transmission, corners, style.

Against: Fuel Economy, suspension.

Compare specs to an alternative car!
€ 44,995 when New

Key Facts

New Price
€ 44,995
Make

Subaru

Model
Levorg
Variant
Levorg GT 1.6 DIT Lineartronic
First Launched
2016
Transmission
Automatic
Engine & Transmission
CVT
Fuel type
Petrol
Body Type
Estate

Running Costs

Tax
570
Tax Band
D
Average L/100km
7.00
Fuel Tank Capacity (L)
60
Fuel Tank Range (km)
845
CO2 emmissions (g/km)
164
Emission Standard EU
EU6

Performance

Engine (L)
1600
Break Horsepower
170
Top Speed
210
Acceleration (0-100 km/h)
8.9
Cylinders
4
Fuel Tank Capacity (L)
60
Engine Position
Front, longitudinal
Number of Valves
4
Aspiration
Naturally
Torque
250

Space & Practicality

Doors
5
Seats
5
Boot capacity (L)
522
Kerb weight
1537
Tyre Size Front
1537
Tyre Size Back
225/45 R18
Wheel Base
2650

Safety

Isofix
Yes

Subaru Levorg (2016)

3/5
Pros

Great drive on flat surfaces.

Cons

Very firm suspension turns into a bumpy ride on uneven surfaces.

Our Rating 3/5
  • Performance
  • Ride & Handling
  • Refinement
  • Quality & Reliability
  • Safety & Security
  • Space & Practicality
  • Verdict
Verdict

Subaru wouldn’t be what you’d call the biggest car brand in Ireland, but they are a brand with a relatively good name. Now seems like a good time to bring their new estate car, the Levorg to the Irish market. After all, station wagons are becoming slightly more popular on our roads – so why not bring it in. Subaru calls this car the “spiritual successor” for the Legacy Tourer, fans of the manufacturer say that it’s something else – an estate version of the Subaru WRX.

Performance

The Subaru Levorg has been kept very simple for the Irish market. There is just one engine available. The Irish arm of the manufacturer has opted to bring in the 1.6 Direct Injection Turbo petrol version. This houses a new Boxer engine which is coupled to a Lineartronic CVT gearbox. Sadly, the engine means a very mediocre, if not bad, fuel economy. At least Subaru aren’t making up their fuel economy figures though, the technical spec says that it averages 7.1 l/100km – we returned 7.6, which isn’t far off their mark. On paper, the 1.6 offering is gutsy and it offers 170 hp and 0-100km/h in 8.9 seconds.

Ride & Handling

This is an AWD offering, which does brilliantly in adding extra grip to the car. On flat-surfaced corners, this car is very enjoyable to drive. However, the suspension is extremely firm and if you drive it with any type of gusto on uneven surfaces and you might feel like you’re bouncing all over the road. The CVT gearbox is excellent – which is not something that we say too often.

Refinement

Unfortunately, a lot of road noise does slip into this vehicle. Some of that might come from the intercooler scoop to the front, but it also depends on what tyres you opt for with the car. The vehicle could do with a little more padding.

Quality & Reliability

The interior is nice, not overly premium in feeling, but nice. The infotainment looks very similar to what you’d see inside any new Honda, however, it would not be as easy to use. There is an abundance of buttons on the steering wheel too. On the plus side, this car comes with a whopping six USB points – which we thought was very cool.

Safety & Security

The Subaru Levorg scored a full five stars in the Euro NCAP. It comes with plenty of sensors surrounding the interior of the car and the AWD system offers torque distribution. It also has braking assist, which is always a bonus.

Space & Practicality

In terms of space, leg room and head room to both the front and the rear is excellent. The seats are very comfortable too. There is good manoeuvrability in the driver’s seat and the steering wheel, so getting comfortable is not an issue. The boot has a false floor and has plenty of hidden storage. It offers 522 litres, which is competitive.


3 comments

Zoe O'Connell 17 Nov 2016 14:24

The Subaru is still a horrible looking yoke.

Reply

denishoops 24 Nov 2016 12:53

I know someone who bought one of these in the UK - said it ate fuel. Apparetnly a fun drive though. Price here is massive, can't see too many being shifted.

Reply

SevenBells 01 Dec 2016 14:22

Why aren't there more subarus in Ireland?

Reply

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