Subaru has just unveiled a new variant of its Levorg Layback. This time, the compact crossover wagon gets electrification through a hybrid powertrain co-developed with Toyota, also known as an ‘e-Boxer Strong Hybrid’ in Subaru language.
The Levorg Layback S:HEV comes with a 2.5-liter boxer engine paired with two electric motors powering all four wheels. This is the same setup found in the Forester e-Boxer in our local market. The hybrid powertrain helps the Levorg Layback achieve an average fuel consumption of 19km/L.
Subaru Japan didn’t specify the hybrid’s power output on its website, but based on the Forester, we can presume the wagon will produce around 194hp and 270Nm of torque. As you could probably tell from the absence of a hood scoop, there are no turbochargers in this wagon.
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Like the Levorg from the mid-2010s, the Levorg Layback retains those station-wagon dimensions, but in a taller package. Is it an SUV now? The answer isn’t clear. Subaru states that the gasoline Levorg Layback is an SUV, but on the hybrid version’s page, Subaru calls it a wagon. For us, it looks like a wagon on stilts, so we’ll stick with that.
The Levorg Layback has a ground clearance of 180mm and measures 4,735mm long, 1,820mm wide, and 1,550mm tall. That’s about a 100mm increase in all directions from the 2016 model Levorg.
The hybrid wagon comes in two trims: Platinum and Platinum Black. The Platinum trim gets you a leather interior finished in tan and black, as well as seven exterior colors to choose from, while the Platinum Black trim gives you an all-black leather interior and a sleek, black-finished exterior. The Levorg Layback S:HEV is set to launch in Japan by July. More details, including its price, should follow shortly after.
