Subaru Levorg

Subaru Levorg at a glance

The Levorg took over from the larger Legacy Touring Wagon in Japan. In our Subaru catalogue it sits next to the Outback, which is the higher-riding estate.

Generations

First generation, VM (2014-2020). Subaru showed a near-production concept at the Tokyo Motor Show in November 2013, opened Japanese orders on 4 January 2014 and started sales in May 2014. Compared with the fifth-generation Legacy Touring Wagon, the Levorg was 100 mm shorter in length and wheelbase and 50 mm lower. Europe was announced in February 2015, the car was shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2015 and German sales started in September 2015. Japan received a facelift in June 2017 with a new grille, bumper and LED headlights. In 2019 Subaru replaced the 1.6 turbo in Europe with a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre, and ADAC lists the last European cars up to December 2020.

Second generation, VN (2020 onwards). A prototype appeared at the Tokyo Motor Show on 23 October 2019, and the production car went on sale in Japan in late 2020 with GT, GT-H and STI Sport trims. It moved to the Subaru Global Platform, introduced a new 1.8-litre turbo engine and Subaru's EyeSight X driver assistance, and won the 2020-2021 Japan Car of the Year on 7 December 2020. The STI Sport R with a 2.4 turbo joined in November 2021. Export markets get the VN under other names: WRX Sportswagon in Australia (April 2022) and WRX GT in New Zealand (May 2022). ADAC's German catalogue lists only the first generation, so the VN was not offered in Germany.

Levorg Layback (2023 onwards). This crossover version of the VN went on sale in Japan in autumn 2023 as the Limited EX with the 1.8 turbo. It is 15 mm longer, 25 mm wider and 70 mm taller than the estate, measures 4,770 mm in length and 1,820 mm in width, and has 200 mm of ground clearance, 55 mm more than the standard Levorg. From July 2026 Japan also lists a Layback S:HEV with the 2.5-litre FB25 e-Boxer strong hybrid, new front styling and 18-inch wheels.

Engines, transmissions and performance

All Levorgs use Subaru's Lineartronic CVT and permanent all-wheel drive; the 2.4 uses the Subaru Performance Transmission, a CVT with a manual mode. The CB18 is a lean-burn engine that develops its 300 Nm between 1,600 and 3,600 rpm. It is also 44 mm shorter than the old 1.6, which left more room for a front crumple zone, and Japan's official economy improved from 16.0 to 16.6 km/l (about 6.3 to 6.0 l/100 km on the Japanese cycle).

The European 1.6 turbo reached 250 Nm from 1,800 rpm. The naturally aspirated 2.0 that replaced it in 2019 was 2.8 seconds slower to 100 km/h.

Dimensions, space and boot

These are ADAC's figures for the European VM. Japanese data show that the Layback has the same cabin and luggage dimensions as the VN estate. Our size comparison tool puts the Levorg next to any other car in the catalogue.

Fuel economy and running costs

The 1.6 turbo was rated at 6.9 l/100 km combined on the NEDC cycle (8.3 urban, 6.1 extra-urban) and 159 g/km of CO2. The 2.0i of 2019 was tested to the stricter WLTP procedure and rated at 8.5 l/100 km and 192 g/km. Both run on 95-octane petrol. Use our fuel cost calculator to compare the two engines on your own annual mileage.

Trims and prices in Germany

In Japan, the EyeSight driver-assistance package was optional on the first generation, and more than 90% of early buyers chose it. On the VN, EyeSight X uses GPS and 3D map data for hands-off driving in traffic jams, lane-change assistance and a driver-emergency stop function.

Safety

Euro NCAP awarded the Levorg five stars in 2016, according to ADAC's model data. ANCAP's 2016 test of the Australian car gave 14.85 out of 16 in the frontal offset test and full marks in the side and pole tests, with pedestrian protection and whiplash rated Good. The second generation was not tested by Euro NCAP, but on 25 May 2021 it won the JNCAP Five Star Grand Prize for the highest combined crash and active safety score in Japan's 2020 programme. Our safety section explains how Euro NCAP scores have changed since 2016.

Reliability and known issues

We have no verified fault statistics specific to the Levorg in European sources and do not repeat unconfirmed claims. Ask for a full service history that includes the CVT and the all-wheel-drive system, and have a used car inspected before purchase.

Motorsport and sales

Subaru entered the British Touring Car Championship with Team BMR in 2016, and Ashley Sutton won the 2017 drivers' title in a rear-wheel-drive Levorg. In Japan, the VM sold 30,258 cars in its first full year, 2014, falling to 12,111 in 2020. The VN peaked at 25,439 in 2021; in 2024 the Layback (12,463) outsold the estate (10,284) for the first time.

Rivals

In Europe, the Levorg's natural rivals were four-wheel-drive versions of mid-size estates such as the Skoda Octavia Combi 4x4 and Volkswagen Passat Variant 4Motion, and the Mazda6 estate. Our comparison tool shows them side by side.

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