Tested: Subaru Levorg

Long before Subaru was associated with freezing rally stages, this most idiosyncratic of Japanese automobile manufacturers had a strong following among sensible types who appreciated a permanent four-wheel drive chassis clothed in a roomy saloon/estate car body.

The Levorg isn’t based on the Legacy platform (that died six years ago and won’t be coming back). Instead, it uses the latest Impreza for its underpinnings, albeit stretched to the max to give even more legroom and carrying capacity than its much-missed precursor.

But since the Legacy disappeared other manufacturers have moved their tanks onto Subaru’s lawn.

Is the new Levorg good enough to blow away the Audi A4 Allroad, the VW Alltrack and the Volvo V60?

ON THE ROAD

The Levorg is supposed to be the sportier alternative to an Outback, and it certainly is.

From the driver’s seat you gaze out over the massive bonnet scoop, which wouldn’t disgrace a WRX STi, sitting in a sports seat that has a lower hip-point than a crossover such as the Qashqai.

For now there’s only one engine - a 1.6-litre flat four turbo petrol which replaces the old 2.5 gas guzzler. Although it’s slightly down on power compared to the old stager, the new 1.6 has more torque which makes it a good match for the Levorg’s standard-fit CVT automatic gearbox.

That’s fine but launching the Levorg without a diesel is surely a mistake.

This isn’t the first time Subaru has brought out a new model with one hand tied behind its back. The Subaru XV suffered mightily because it didn’t have a diesel engine to start with, and the Levorg will have the same handicap.

Anyone who thinks launching with a petrol-only engine is a good idea must be as divorced from reality as Henry VIII was from his six wives.

Otherwise, the ride is as sporting as the looks.

It’s fine on smooth surfaces, but the firm suspension crashes its way over poor road surfaces rather like the WRX it’s based on. The upside is fine body control on twitchy B-roads.

Driven quickly, the Levorg belies its generous proportions but softer suspension would be more useful, more of the time on the UK’s crumbling roads.

ON THE INSIDE

The Levorg is a lot more spacious than its Impreza cousin with plenty of rear legroom and a light, airy feel.

The instrumentation is old-school analogue, but that’s fine by me, and the switchgear is logically placed. Most of the switches are where you’d expect to find them, apart from the seat heaters which are tucked away just ahead of the centre console storage bin (something of a Subaru trait, I’m afraid).

Build quality is excellent. The Levorg may not have the stylistic tweaks of some premium brand rivals, but it gets all the basics right.

And there’s loads of kit as standard, including blind-spot assist, a touchscreen infotainment/sat nav unit and mood lighting. I like the way the interior light comes on as you approach - a really useful touch when it’s cold and dark.

WHAT DO YOU GET

Every Levorg sold in the UK is available in one ‘GT’ trim level.

Inside there’s a leather-wrapped sports steering wheel, sports gear knob and eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with a heater.

Naturally there is a dual-zone automatic air conditioning system, automatic rain-sensing windshield wipers, front and rear power windows, remote control keyless access, a push-button starter, windshield wiper de-icer and heated door mirrors.

For your entertainment Subaru serves up a 6.2-inch touchscreen system, Bluetooth hands-free, two front USB ports and an auxiliary input jack, USB ports for rear passengers and a six-speaker audio system.

HOW PRACTICAL IS IT?

The Levorg has a 522 litre boot, expandable to 944 litres by folding down the rear seats. If that’s not enough for you, then the A4 Allroad offers up a massive 1430 litres of carrying capacity.

Extending the Levorg’s luggage area is a cinch thanks to electronic quick release buttons in the trunk and there are useful luggage hooks for tying down bulky items.

The cabin has all the usual cupholders and storage bins you would expect, but the door bins won’t hold a big bottle of fizzy pop. There are two handy 12v outlets, one on the fascia one in the central storage bin.

A colour reversing camera will help prevent embarrassing parking ‘accidents’.

RUNNING COSTS

Subaru claims a combined fuel consumption figure of 39.8-mpg, which is good for a big petrol-turbo 4x4, but there’s a pretty big ‘but’. All the Levorg’s rivals are available with a turbodiesel which blows the Subaru’s economy into the weeds and buyers in this class love their TDIs. The Levorg’s tailpipe emissions (164g/km) are nothing to get excited about, either. You’ll pay £180 a year for your road tax.

VERDICT: The Levorg is the ultimate curate’s egg. Where it is good (the permanent four-wheel drive, sporty handling and its roomy interior) it is very, very good; but a petrol turbo engine is the wrong choice for the UK market. Subaru UK knows this - it’s sales predictions for the Levorg are modest - but the lack of a diesel shows that the European market just isn’t top of the company’s priorities at this moment in time. That’s a shame, because if it had a gutsy diesel powerplant I reckon the Levorg would do very well.

That said, if you are happy with a petrol, the Levorg is an excellent sporty estate that’s likely to give sterling service for many years.

As for the name, Subaru says it’s made up from 'Legacy', 'reVOlution' and 'touRinG’. So now you know.

SUBARU LEVORG GT.

Price: £27,495.

SPEC: Engine: 1.6-litre, petrol turbo, DOHC 16-valve.

Max power: 170-bhp.

Max torque: 250Nm.

Top speed: 130-mph.

0-62mph: 8.9-secs.

Fuel consumption: 39.8-mpg (official combined).

CO2: 164g/km VED: £180