What happens when you graft a bigger trunk to the Impreza? The Levorg happens, a family-oriented station wagon slotted in the Subaru lineup underneath the Outback. There’s even a sporty version available for the 2021 model year, revealed today at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2020.
STI Sport is how it’s called, and Subaru makes it clear the car is a fully-functional prototype with grand touring credentials. On the downside, the Japanese automaker hasn’t confirmed the type of engine working together with the Lineartronic CVT and Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive.
The Levorg Prototype presented before the STI Sport had a 1.8-liter turbo boxer, a four-cylinder engine with direct injection and dual-exit exhaust outlets. The go-faster model also features a pair of chrome-tipped exhausts, yet we’re expecting a different powerplant under the hood.
The 2.0-liter FA20 in the previous generation is rated at 296 PS (292 horsepower) and 400 Nm (295 pound-feet) of torque, which is more than enough for the STI Sport. Subaru doesn’t plan on rolling out a full-on Levorg STI, meaning that this fellow here is the range-topping model.
On the driving front, the STI Sport comes with a first for series-production Subarus. Electronically-controlled dampers on all four corners “delivery quality feel and sporty feel in driving” according to a bad translation from Japanese to English by Google Translate. Something called Drive Mode Select also represents a first for Subaru, allowing the driver to customize the engine’s responsiveness, steering system, dampers, and the AWD system.
The interior of the STI Sport doesn’t differ too much from the bone-stock model. Subaru Tecnica International logos, carbon-inspired decorative trim on the dashboard, contrasting stitching here and there; these are the changes that help the STI Sport stand above the standard sibling.
Last, but not least, Subaru makes it clear that the Levorg STI Sport Prototype hasn’t forgotten about the automaker’s driver-centric alter ego that stems from the rallying legacy of those blue cars with State Express 555 decals and Colin McRae behind the wheel. “With this vehicle, Subaru envisions creating ‘a future that everyone can enjoy driving at their fullest, at their will’ in an era where autonomous driving technology is widely spreading.”
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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