One of the lesser-known Subaru products is the Levorg, essentially a wagon version of the Impreza. It has been around since 2014 and has largely been confined to the Japanese market. The first-generation model was sold in select European markets while the current car, launched in 2020, can be had in New Zealand as the WRX GT Wagon and in Australia as the WRX Sportwagon. This new Levorg Layback is a JDM-only affair, at least for the time being.
In the lead up to the car’s official debut today in the Land of the Rising Sun, Subaru said it would be an SUV version of the wagon. However, this new Layback derivative is basically the same wagon with a raised suspension and plastic body cladding. Details are scarce for the time being, although we do know the jacked-up stance has increased ground clearance to 7.9 inches (200 millimeters) whereas the standard Levorg only offers 5.1 in (130 mm).
The 2024 Levorg Layback makes us of a next-generation EyeSight system equipped with a wide-angle camera as standard equipment. Customers also get a Harman Kardon sound setup, an 11.6-inch screen, as well as the possibility to remotely control AC to pre-condition the vehicle’s interior via a smartphone app. The adventurous wagon on stilts rides on 18-inch wheels with all-season tires.
Subaru also sells the Levorg at home in Japan as an STI Sport model with a more aggressive body kit and some mechanical upgrades, although it’s not a fully fledged STI product. At the beginning of the year, it launched an STI Sport Performance special edition limited to 500 units and equipped with 19-inch BBS forged wheels, a transmission oil cooler, a strut tower brace, and a flexible draw stiffener. The spicy wagon also received 225/40 ZR19 Michelin Pilot Sport 5 tires, Recaro front bucket seats, and a variety of black accents.
Depending on the market, the Levorg is available with either a turbocharged 1.8-liter engine making 174 horsepower or a larger 2.4-liter – also with forced induction – rated at 256 hp. These four-cylinder units work with a CVT sending power to both axles.
