In its home market, Subaru has a rather amusing lineup of models. Yes, we have the stalwarts such as the Crosstrek, Forester, and Outback, but there are interesting Japan-only models, too.
We’re not talking about JDM-special WRX models, either. You might be surprised that Subaru sells a kei car over there, along with a rebadged version of the Toyota Raize. But one that piques our interest is the Levorg Layback.
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The Subaru Levorg Layback has been on sale in Japan for quite some time now. At first glance, it’s easy to say that it’s lifted Levorg wagon with SUV-like styling. However, there is more to it than that.
For starters, the Layback gets a different front end treatment from the Levorg/WRX wagon. It leans towards premium than sporty with its chrome trim, unique bumpers, and grille. It’s not just for aesthetic purposes, either. According to Subaru, the bumpers have been designed in a way that it improves its approach and departure angles.
In other words, Subaru is actually encouraging Levorg Layback owners to take it off-roading. The Layback is also 15mm longer, 25mm wider, and 70mm higher than the Levorg/WRX Wagon. Ground clearance has also been raised to 200mm, about on par with similarly sized crossover SUVs.
Hop inside and, well, you get a cabin just like the WRX Wagon. It gets a less sporty theme in there, though. Instead of deep bucket seats, red stitching, and carbon effect trims, it gets a two-tone interior (Ash on Black) and the red stitching is replaced by white threads.
A WRX on stilts? Well, not quite. While the hood scoop hints at a turbocharged engine, it doesn’t use the boosted 2.4-liter from the sporty wagon. Instead, it comes with a 1.8-liter turbo that makes 174hp and 300Nm of torque. Of course, Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive is standard, as is Lineartronic CVT.
That 1.8-liter is of interest for us, at least. In Japan, Subaru has retired the 2.0-liter Boxer engine that made 154hp and 196Nm of torque. Cars that had it now have that aforementioned 1.8-liter turbo or a 2.0-liter hybrid. We’d love to see the turbocharged 1.8 make its way to the local lineup. It’s more powerful and more efficient (16.6km/L says Subaru), so it’s a bit of a win-win powertrain.
Think of this then as a junior Outback than lifted WRX. But should the Subaru Levorg Layback be sold outside of Japan? We say it has potential, but it might be at odds with another similarly sized model from the range, the Forester. Still, we think it would be nice to have it in the local lineup, especially because of that engine and extra clearance.
