Subaru Levorg Layback Revealed As Crosstrek's Bigger Japanese Cousin

Subaru has unveiled a new model in Japan called the Levorg Layback, which is effectively a crossover version of the Levorg wagon, which itself is effectively a Subaru Impreza wagon. But the crossover variant of the Impreza already exists, and it's called the Subaru Crosstrek, making the Levorg Layback a strange proposition and an exercise in either redundancy or filling every niche for the Japanese automaker.

At the heart of the Levorg Layback is a 1.8-liter direct-injection turbo flat-four producing 174 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque - the latter figure substantially more potent than the US-spec Crosstrek. These outputs reach all four corners via a CVT gearbox with active torque vectoring.

As for its off-road credentials, or potential lack thereof, it has 7.9 inches of ground clearance - 0.8 inches fewer than the US-spec Crosstrek.

At 187.8 inches long, 71.7 inches wide, and 61.8 inches tall, however, the Levorg Layback is around 11 inches longer than the Crosstrek, likely resulting in the biggest difference between these models - a substantial increase in passenger and cargo volume. The SUV has 19.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats, which is almost the same as the Crosstrek, suggesting the extra length actually benefits passenger legroom and not cargo volume, although a faux floor to the trunk helps to carry taller items.

As for the rest of the interior, there's default cloth upholstery and available genuine leather, but both options are combination black/ash colored with copper stitching.

Subaru's familiar 11.6-inch portrait orientation touchscreen is found with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, navigation with What3Words integration, and a 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system.

Naturally, connected services under the Starlink banner are included too.

From a safety perspective, the latest generation of Subaru's EyeSight systems are included with three cameras and radar functionality to help detect and prevent incidents, be they crashing into vehicles, pedestrians, or cyclists. A multi-view camera system is also included, with a camera-based smart rearview mirror that lets you swap between a regular mirror and a digital projection from a rear-mounted camera. Lastly, the Levorg Layback features hands-free traffic jam driving assistance.

The Levorg Layback is a curious model that seems to overlap heavily with the Crosstrek. That said, it's not expected to be sold in the USA, where the Crosstrek and Forester already have a strong support base.