If you live in the United States, the name “Levorg” might not mean very much to you. In other parts of the world, however, you might know it as a stylish Subaru station wagon sold alongside the Legacy and Impreza. Having been around since 2014, it’s due for a refresh; indeed, an all-new version based on Subaru’s latest shared architecture is set to arrive shortly.
Normally, of course, that’d be of minimal interest to us in the States. But as it turns out, one version of the new Levorg could give us our best look yet at the next Subaru WRX and STI.
SubaruAs Motor1 pointed out, the new Levorg STI Sport trim is widely believed to be very similar in appearance to the next WRX and STI. It’s not hard to see the familiar resemblance, after all; the STI Sport version boasts the iconic hood scoop and aggressive styling that defines those compact sports sedans.
The interior of the new Levorg also reportedly offers some hints about what might be seen inside the new Rex and its more powerful sibling — which isn’t all that surprising, as the Levorg’s interior is fairly similar to both those found in the latest Legacy (and Outback) and the current Impreza that will serve as the foundation of the new WRX. The Levorg scores the 11.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system found in the bigger Subies; considering the WRX and STI are higher-end models, it certainly seems possible that Subaru might try and migrate that bigger screen down to them.
SubaruAs for the all-important question of what’ll power the next WRX and STI, current speculation is divided between whether it’ll be an uprated version of the new 1.8-liter turbocharged flat four found in this new Levorg, or a version of the turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four found in the Ascent, Outback and Legacy. Considering that the new WRX and STI could pack roughly 300 and 400 horsepower, respectively, we’re guessing it’ll be the latter, as squeezing 400 ponies from less than two liters of displacement would be an epic task for a road car’s engine.
