Subaru Levorg STI Sport
Err,no,it’snotaLevorgSTIasyoumightthinkitis
AS FAR as badges go, Subaru has built
‘STI’ into a legend. Right up there with
AMG, RS and GTI. But with reputation
comes responsibility.
When the STI badge ventured from
the WRX to the fourth-gen Liberty,
Subaru went all-out with pillow-
ball suspension, Brembo brakes and
a healthy engine tune to keep its
reputation intact.
Now the badge meets the Levorg.
The priciest GT-S variant was trounced
by Skoda’s Octavia RS230 in aMOTOR-
hosted face-off not so long ago, where
the Czech exposed a lacklustre chassis
and uninspiring boxer engine on the
Subaru’s part.
This time around, the badge has
bumped the price above $50K with
interior bits, exterior upgrades and
a new colour. At its core, though,
the turbo 2.0-litre four carries over
unchanged, delivering 197kW at
5600rpmand350Nmat2400rpm.
With a not-terrible CVT transmission
behind it (there’s no manual option,
disappointingly), the all-wheel drive
wagon should easily best the GT-S’s old
6.6sec claim to 100km/h from rest.
Styling-wise, it has a new front
bumper, new grille, and importantly, a
pink badge in the grille’s bottom-right
corner. Our test car came in WR Blue
with attractive 18-inch STI alloys.
The other stuff is inside, with the side
sills, instrument cluster, and steering
wheel scoring STI logos. Although
the real highlights are the maroon
leather sports seats, which are more
comfortable than the WRX STI Spec R’s
Recaros, and suit the cabin’s solidness
and refinement.
The Levorg’s strut-front suspension
and multi-link rear are retuned with
new spring rates, damper rates and
length, along with different bushes
and rear anti-roll bar. Subaru claims
better ride and flatter cornering with
First Fang
ENGINE 1998cc flat-4cyl, DOHC, 16v, turbo / POWER 197kW @ 5600rpm / TORQUE 350Nm @ 2400-5200rpm / WEIGHT 1539kg / 0-100KM/H 6.6sec (estimated) / PRICE $51,990
by LOUIS CORDONY
New. Fast. Driven.
the update, while the STI also scores a
unique tune for its Bilstein dampers.
We can report cornering prowess
has improved, slightly, while upgraded
brake pads have firmed pedal feel and
revealed the new suspension setup
doesn’t pitch as hard into corners.
This composure still unravels the
faster you go, though. That front axle
or the tyres never feel up to your
enthusiasm levels. There’s also still too
much jiggling over bumpy stuff as the
dampers struggle to keep the wagon’s
mass tied down – not to mention
the fact the steering is void of feel,
feedback or precision.
At corners you take bites with the
speed-sensitive steering to find a line,
which is a shame because the Levorg
balances well once hooked in.
Ultimately it only takes a couple
corners to know that the Levorg STI
Sport is far from the real deal. Which is
very disappointing.
You could argue that ‘Sport’ suffix
serves as an asterisk, but there’s no
evidence of it on this Levorg’s rump.
And the reality is the car is nowhere
near as rapid, grippy, or rewarding
enough to earn itself the honour.M
Like
Solid cabin; lovely
seats; wagon looks
STAR RATING
Dislike
Bland steering;
poor ride; grip
limits
3.0
36 january 2018 motormag.com.au