The Subaru Levorg has been named Japan Car of the Year 2020-2021 by a panel of 60 jurors. Surprised? Don’t be, because the Japanese know a good car when they see one.
The problem is, you may not have seen one. Despite being on sale in the UK since 2015, the Subaru Levorg remains a rare sight in the UK, with buyers failing to embrace the all-wheel-drive estate car. Around 500 units have been sold across Europe so far this year. That’s poor, even by 2020 standards.
We drove one in 2015 and rather liked it. “In isolation it’s a thoroughly convincing car,” we said. “You just know that the Levorg will run and run, long after many of its rivals have bitten the dust. It feels a bit special… exclusivity is guaranteed.”
Five years later, just £14,000 is enough to secure a 2015 or 2016 model, while a new one costs £34,770. That might sound expensive for a car you haven’t heard of, but look beyond the price and you’ll find an estate car that’s fully loaded, safe and spacious.
It’s the anti-SUV. The wagon with a petrol engine that gives a two-fingered salute to the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. The all-weather estate that comes with a five-year warranty and Subaru’s gilt-edged reputation for reliability.
It’s worth pointing out that the Japan Car of the Year is the second-generation Subaru Levorg. Although it looks similar to the outgoing Levorg – and the one you can still buy in the UK – it’s actually entirely new and rides on the Subaru Global Platform first seen on the new Impreza.
This means its bigger than before, with more interior space and a larger boot. Power is sourced from a 1.8-litre flat-four turbocharged boxer engine producing 174hp and mated to a new Lineartronic CVT featuring 80 percent new parts.
The other big news is revamped interior, which seeks to edge the Levorg closer to its premium rivals in the estate car market. The 11.6-inch tablet-style infotainment display is very Volvo-like, while the 12.3-inch digital instrument panel is similar in style to Audi’s ‘Virtual Cockpit’. The Levorg’s dashboard looks superb.
We’re unlikely to see the new Levorg in the UK. Subaru shifted 272 cars in September 2020, a month in which 10,553 people registered a Vauxhall Corsa. This might be like comparing rally jackets to baseball caps, but sales measured in the hundreds aren’t sustainable for a company with 76 dealers to its name.
Subaru Levorg wins ‘distinctive award’
The Subaru Levorg raced to victory in the battle for this year’s Japan Car of the Year, securing 437 votes. This was more than enough to knock the Toyota Yaris (320 votes) and Honda Fit/Jazz (300 votes) into second and third place respectively.
“It is a great honour that the Levorg has been recognized with this distinctive award,” said Subaru Corporation president Tomomi Nakamura. “I would like to thank our customers and all other stakeholders for their continued support for Subaru.”
Subaru says it has plans to launch the Levorg in Europe and Australia. Just don’t hold your breath on Japan’s Car of the Year making it to these shores. We’ve only got ourselves to blame.
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