In a competitive segment that has seen the likes of Japanese giants Honda, Toyota and Mazda as well as Volvo all launch fantastic models over the past 12 months, the Subaru Levorg is a serious rival.After making its European debut at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, the Levorg is the spiritual successor to the much loved fourth-generation Subaru Legacy Tourer.Despite being slightly smaller than its predecessor, the Levorg offers greater practicality. Occupants enjoy greater leg, head and shoulder room than in the last Legacy Tourer, and the 522-litre boot – rising to an impressive 1,446 litres with the second row of seats folded down – provides plenty of room for anything from sports equipment and bicycles to luggage and pets.The Levorg is available in a single trim level called GT, but it certainly couldn't be described as standard – just the opposite in fact. It comes packed full of kit including 18-inch dark grey alloy wheels, keyless access and push-button start and dual-zone air-conditioning.It comes with a newly-developed 1.6-litre DIT (Direct Injection Turbo) Boxer petrol engine that offers the same performance as Subaru's existing 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated Boxer engine, despite being 36 per cent smaller. Engineered specifically for its application in the Levorg, the all-new four-cylinder engine produces 170 PS and 250 Nm torque.Paired with Subaru's super-smooth Lineartronic (CVT) transmission, the Levorg will offer buyers a supremely refined powertrain that is eerily quiet both on motorways and country lanes. The noise if makes is more of a purr than the grunt that you may expect from a car that won numerous World Rally Championship title in the 1990s.And the refined theme is carried on through the Levorg's interior, which oozes high quality materials and has a real luxurious feel about it.Ultra-comfortable, heated leather-trimmed sports seats with blue stitching that is unique to the Levorg come as standard, as does Subaru's 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment, connectivity and navigation system that is as easy to use as anything on the market.Leather trim is used generously within the cabin, including the door trims, on the centre console and on top of the really useful multi-function display on the dashboard.I've driven many of the previously mentioned sports tourers in recent months, and I can honestly say that I've enjoyed every single on of them and quite honestly couldn't choose a favourite.And the Subaru Levorg is right up there. Externally it looks fantastic, but the instantly recognisable Subaru badge and muscular front grille have been given a modern tweak to bring it bang up to date.And, just as importantly, the designers have clearly spent plenty of time ensuring that the back end looks good and not like a normal hatchback that has simply been stretched to make it a few centimetres longer.Drive wise I've always liked Subaru's, and this one doesn't disappoint. The steering wheel features numerous gadgets and gizmos to control different parts of the car, but like the touchscreen they are neatly laid out in such a way that they don't bamboozle you.SI Drive (Subaru Intelligent Drive) allows the driver, via a switch on the D-shaped steering wheel, to choose between two modes according to their mood or the driving environment – Intelligent mode and Sport mode.They always feel solid and glued to the road, but there's more than enough power when it's required for overtaking. The automatic gearbox is also smooth and doesn't jolt the driver about when it's moving up or down, and the steering is accurate and crisp to give an all-round thrilling drive.And the statistics back up the quality of the drive. The Levorg accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 8.9 seconds, while returning nearly 40mpg on a combined cycle. Emissions are rated at 164 g/km.And Subaru's famous Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system, Vehicle Dynamics Control and torque vectoring, the Levorg's drivetrain provide unrivalled stability in all conditions.The Levorg also continues to uphold Subaru's reputation as a manufacturer of some of the safest cars on the road, with a strong, light bodyshell and a wide range of passive and active safety technologies.It boasts a higher proportion of ultra-high tensile steel than other models in the Subaru range, such as the Impreza, with 50 per cent of the body made up of strong, yet light steel alloys for the greatest possible crash safety performance.The Levorg is equipped as standard with the new 'Subaru Rear Vehicle Detection' system (SRVD), which alerts drivers to vehicles which are crossing behind. It combines three technologies: Blind Spot Detection, which alerts drivers to cars sitting in their blind spot; Lane Change Assist, which warns drivers of fast-approaching vehicles behind when the driver indicates to change lane; and Rear Cross Traffic Alert, which detects vehicles passing behind when reversing out of a parking space.With a range of safety assist technology, as well as front, front side, curtain and driver knee airbags, whiplash-reducing front seats, and High Beam Assist, the Levorg is expected to receive a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating when it is tested later this year.Prices for the Levorg start from just shy of £27,500.
