2015 Subaru Levorg: First UK Review Reveals Disappointing Flaws

For starters, the Levorg is only available in Britain with one engine, which is a 1.6-liter, turbocharged to deliver 168bhp. While the cylinders are arranged in a trademark boxer configuration, everything else is non-impressive. The only gearbox available is a CVT, which means you'll have to put up with awkward high revs and delayed responses at low speeds.

You will be pleased to know that from late 2015, Subaru offers its UK customers several new diesel options on the Forester, including ones with a manual gearbox.

The harsh suspension and noisy tires are also letting the Levorg down. But the final nail in the coffin is its price: £27,495.

For that kind of cash, you can buy a lot of cars with better badges and sometimes even superior performance. One good example would be the all-new BMW X1 that now has a much bigger luggage compartment and a spacious cabin. And how about a £26,405 BMW 3 Series Touring?

As standard, the Subaru Levorg sold in Britain comes with auto on-off LED headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, front and rear fog lamps, metallic paint, and 18-inch dark gray alloy wheels. Inside, we see keyless access and push-button start, leather heated sports seats in the front, 60/40 split-folding and reclining rear seats and a new 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment and navigation system. However, the quality of the materials is somewhat questionable.

Nevertheless, a new Passat Alltrack is similarly equipped and probably better designed to cope with soft-roading conditions. It costs £30,855 with a 2-liter TDI engine and 4Motion all-wheel drive.

It's worth noting that despite its small size and relatively powerful engine, the Levorg isn't that fast, taking 8.9 seconds to reach 100 km/h (62 mph). What's more, the claimed fuel economy figures of 40 mpg UK (7.1 liters per 100 km) were impossible to achieve. At best, Rebecca says she got 35 mpg (8.1 liters per 100 km), which is unacceptable for a family car.