About a close as you'll get to a modern STI Wagon, except in one crucial area…
By Cam Tait / Monday, 17 April 2023 / Loading comments
Quite why Subaru decided to rebadge its WRX estate as the Levorg remains a mystery. It’s the amalgamation of the words ‘legacy’, ‘revolution’ and ‘touring’, apparently, which I’m sure looked fantastic on the marketing team’s whiteboard, but in practice, it still appears a little clumsy. More importantly, it wasn’t recognisable either, leading to Subaru ditching it and returning to the good old WRX wagon for the new generation.
So it’s easy to pay little attention to the Levorg, which is a shame because you shouldn’t. Granted, it’s an exceptionally dreary car with an equally dreary name, but the example we have here is a little different. To maintain what’s left of its performance-focused image, Subaru set about creating an STI-tuned version of the Levorg and sold it exclusively in its home market. I say ‘tuned’, because the Levorg STI Sport misses out on some of the goodies that proper STI models receive, but it’s about as close as you’ll get to a sporty WRX estate.
Sure, the Levorg doesn’t get the EJ20 or EJ25 WRX STI motors found in the JDM and international models respectively. But it develops a very punchy 296hp – just 4hp shy of the UK-spec WRX STI – from a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder boxer engine. The company also threw in an STI exhaust that’ll hopefully bring out that signature Subaru grumble and the suspension has been stiffened up thanks to a set of Bilstein dampers.
There is a problem, however. The sort of noisy, droning problem that can only be attributed to a transmission of the continuously variable variety. Yes, the Levorg STI comes with a CVT. Another baffling decision on the surface, though it does hammer home the fact that the STI badging is doing a fair bit of heavy lifting here. It is all-wheel drive, mind, although the absence of any trick differentials means you won’t be able to play with the torque distribution while pootling about. Not that anybody does – it’s just nice to know the option is there.
That being said, there are a couple of ways where the Levorg STI Sport appeals. Firstly, Subaru clearly wanted it to serve as a more laid-back version of the WRX, fitting it with a unique burgundy leather interior and a bunch of driver assistance features. Add the extra practicality with the wagon format and you’ve got a niche family car that’s almost as fast as a WRX STI. Secondly, because Subaru uses the same architecture for most of its cars, you can nick (not literally) bits from the WRX STI and bung them on the Levorg with relative ease – as has been well documented on this YouTube channel.
Moreover, it’s a slice of forbidden JDM fruit and that’s always going to pique our interest. Subaru didn’t sell many regular Levorgs in the first place, making the STI Sport even more of a rarity. This 60,300-mile example has only had one owner from new and is completely stock by the looks of it. For £19,990 it’s bang on the sort of money you’ll be paying for a ‘proper’ WRX STI, but you can fit more tat in the back of the Levorg. Decision made.
SPECIFICATION | SUBARU LEVORG STI SPORT
Engine: 1,998cc four-cylinder boxer, turbocharged
Transmission: CVT, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 296@5,600rpm
Torque (lb ft): 295@N/A
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
Year registered: 2016
Recorded mileage: 60,387
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £19,990
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