When Subaru decided to axe the WRX wagon, the rumble of fan moaning could be heard like the note of one of Subaru’s boxer engines.
Now, Subaru has come up with a replacement of sorts, but so far it won’t be sold in the U.S.
The Subaru Levorg is a WRX-based wagon that went on sale in Japan last year, and was unveiled in European spec at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. It’s the stuff New England drivers’ dreams are made of.
The name is a portmanteau of Legacy Evolution Touring, but this car doesn’t have anything to do with Subaru’s bigger sedan. It rides on the same 104.3-inch wheelbase as the WRX, and shares its front-end styling.
It also shares the WRX’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It’s actually tuned to 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, big jumps over the WRX’s 268 hp and 258 lb-ft.
A smaller 1.6-liter turbo four with 168 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque serves as the base engine, and a CVT automatic transmission is the only option for both. The Levorg also features Subaru’s SI system with adjustable driving modes.
There’s a lot of potential here for a fun car for people who need to haul more than a trunk’s worth of stuff.
Subaru even showed a concept Levorg tuned by its STI performance division at the 2013 Tokyo Auto Salon, with a six-speed manual transmission and upgraded suspension.
Yet while European buyers will now get a chance to experience this potent blend of performance and practicality, there are still no plans to bring it to the U.S.
If that remains the case, used WRX wagons may skyrocket in value.
