Subaru shows off 2016 Levorg in South Australia

SUBARU Australia has prised a single example of its forthcoming Levorg wagon from its Japanese masters, to complement its large-scale sponsorship of the Tour Down Under cycling racing in Adelaide.

The ivory white automatic wagon – on display in central Adelaide all weekend – is being used as an evaluation vehicle for local consumption, and it has been equipped with a selection of parts from the company's STI catalogue.

No firm details on Australian specs or prices were forthcoming, but at least one Levorg was sold via deposit on the Thursday of the cycling event, despite the customer not knowing the final pricing.

If the retail pricing of the WRX is any indication, the base Levorg could retail somewhere between $45,000 and $47,000, which means an upmarket version could crest $50,000 before on-road costs when it arrives in showrooms in mid-2016.

Aftermarket dampers, springs and a front strut tower braces are complemented by 18-inch Enkei lightweight alloys, while new front and rear under spoilers and side skirts are joined by a larger exhaust and drilled brake rotors.

Inside, Alcantara-like material covers the small-diameter steering wheel and has also been used for seat inserts and the gearshift surround. The rear hatch space is generous, with a low loading lip, wide sills and additional storage under the boot floor, although this may make way for a full-size spare tyre in the Australian-spec car.

The rear seats can also be lowered by small switches in the load space.

Subaru Australia has offered similarly equipped cars in the past, including the Liberty by STI in the mid-2000s, with mechanical and chassis upgrades that do not amount to a full STI update.

The single Aussie example of the Levorg is based roughly on the Japanese GT version, and is equipped with a 2.0-litre turbocharged boxer four and a continuously variable transmission. Subaru Australia has indicated that the local version will come in two states of engine tune one with a 2.0-litre and the second possibly with a 2.2-litre version of the same engine.

At 201kW, the Aussie-spec Levorg – essentially a WRX from the B-pillar forward – is 20kW shy of the Japanese-spec car, an anomaly blamed on fuel octane rating differences between the two countries.

Subaru Australia suggests that the Levorg – visually similar in the load space to the company's Outback but with a slightly narrower aperture – fills the space in the range left by the Liberty GT wagon.

“We have the Outback, we have the Forester, and there was a definite gap there after the Liberty GT wagon," said Subaru Australia national corporate affairs manager David Rowley. “Having the car here at the Tour Down Under was important to us to start spreading the message about its size.”Mr Rowley said that the fact that only one Levorg existed in the country meant it was confined to a retail display stand for the course of the event, which sees thousands of cyclists from around the world congregate in Adelaide.

Subaru Australia has taken on the role of chief car sponsor at the South Australian cycling event, providing 109 vehicles for the season-opening road race classic.