The Subaru WRX wagon could be revived in Australia with the new-generation Levorg. Due in showrooms by the end of this year.
The iconic Subaru WRX wagon could be revived in Australia, following reports out of Japan claiming the next-generation Levorg will be available with 200kW-plus WRX power.
Japanese magazine Best Car reports the new 2022 Subaru WRX‘s 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder ‘boxer’ engine will eventually make its way under the bonnet of the new Levorg.
It’s unclear if this will be for domestic and international markets such as Australia.
However, Subaru Australia has recently indicated the next-generation Subaru Levorg wagon would evolve into a more hardcore, performance-focused model than its predecessor.
A Subaru Australia spokesperson said: “Levorg has proved its worth as a niche turbo wagon and will morph into something slightly different for the new generation. While the Japanese Levorg offers some cosmetic clues, there will be some significant technical variations to cars delivered in Australia.”
With the current generation models, the WRX sedan and Levorg wagon are twins but have unique names.
Subaru has previously sold both sedan and wagon versions of the WRX with earlier generations.
If the speculation about engine power is true – the WRX is expected to have 213kW and 412Nm outputs – it would mark a significant step up from the 1.8-litre turbo four-cylinder currently available in the Subaru wagon in its Japanese domestic market (130kW and 300Nm).
MORE: 2021 Subaru Levorg revealed, Australian debut confirmed
It wouldn’t be the first time the Levorg borrowed its mechanicals from the WRX, given GT-S and STI Sport variants of the outgoing wagon shared the sedan’s 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder with an identical 197kW/350Nm output.
The current Levorg was only available as a CVT automatic matched to all-wheel drive. It is unclear if a Subaru WRX wagon would have the choice of manual and automatic transmissions, as per the sedan.
Unveiled in August 2020, the new Subaru Levorg is based on the Japanese brand’s latest Subaru Global Platform, and scores its latest cabin technologies, including an 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.
The 2022 Subaru Levorg is expected to go on sale in Australia in the second half of this year.
MORE: Levorg news and reviews
MORE: Everything Subaru
2022 Subaru Levorg likely to get WRX turbo power – and name – in Australia