Named after the words “legacy,” “revolution,” and “touring’” the Levorg is a midsize wagon that Subaru has been selling since 2014. The second generation arrived in 2020, and just like its predecessor, it’s mainly a Japanese affair. However, the family car is also sold in a few export markets, including Australia where it’s known as the WRX Sportwagon, and in New Zealand as the WRX GT Wagon. Next month, a Levorg derivative will be launched in Japan.
Previewed here in several official teaser images, the Levorg Layback will essentially be an SUV version of the wagon. Subaru mentions the high-riding version is intended for the Japanese market where preorders are scheduled to kick off on September 7. The model’s debut date hasn’t been specified, but logic tells us the premiere is scheduled to take place when the order books will open or even sooner.
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By now, you’re probably wondering where the Levorg Layback will be positioned in an already crowded lineup. If we’re talking strictly by size, the new SUV should slot between the Forester and Outback in Subaru’s domestic market. At home in Japan, Subie also sells the Crosstrek as well as the pint-sized and rather adorable Rex.
It remains to be seen whether the Levorg Layback will remain a JDM-only affair or if there are plans to sell the SUV in other markets. The wagon upon which it’s based has received its fair share of STI bits as well as WRX power, but time will tell whether Subaru intends to replicate the recipe for the jacked-up version.
You’d think that in 2023 there are enough SUVs on the market but that’s apparently not the case and Subaru is looking to fill a gap we didn’t know existed.
