Goodbye Subaru Levorg, hello Subaru WRX Sportswagon.
The 2022 Subaru WRX Sportswagon has been officially revealed for the Australian market.
The new wagon will replace the Levorg nameplate in Australia when it arrives in the second quarter of 2022.
Although it’s still called the Levorg overseas, Subaru has decided to ditch the nameplate locally after just one generation and instead use the new WRX Sportswagon badge.
The new WRX wagon will share its engine with the sedan, but won’t be available with a manual transmission. Instead, it’s CVT-only.
Only the WRX Sportswagon will be available at launch, although a company spokesperson has confirmed Subaru is considering the less powerful 1.8-litre Levorg wagon offered in Japan to sit beneath it in the range.
The WRX Sportswagon is more performance-focused than even the flagship version of the previous-generation Levorg that left the Australian market in 2020.
Just like the new-generation sedan, power will come from 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder producing 202kW of power and 350Nm of torque. That’s up 400cc and 5kW from the engine available in the previous WRX and Levorg.
Subaru says the engine’s bigger displacement combined with a new turbo packing an electronically-controlled waste gate and air bypass valves deliver more mid-range performance with less turbo lag.
Both models share their sheetmetal forward of the B-pillar.
The WRX Sportswagon will only be available with a CVT packing eight pre-programmed steps. It mimics a traditional auto using paddles behind the steering wheel.
Subaru says that this CVT transmission allows for faster ‘gear changes’ than before, and there’s also a downshift blipping control.
A six-speed manual is available, but only on the WRX sedan models.
Power is sent to all four wheels through a traditional Subaru all-wheel drive system, backed by an active torque vectoring system.
Drivers will be able to choose from a range of drive modes, with select variants packing electronically-controlled adaptive suspension and steering.
Outside there are 18-inch alloy wheels and LED headlights that are complimented by a hexagonal front grille.
Pictured: Second-generation Levorg interior
Inside, the WRX sedan and Sportswagon are expected to be identical with only differences in trim and colour choices.
The Australian-specification WRX Sportswagon interior is yet to be seen, although we know it’ll pack a vertically-oriented 11.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The interior will also feature sports bucket front seats.
More information about local specification and pricing will become available closer to Australian deliveries.
Subaru is embarking on a substantial overhaul of its performance range, with the new BRZ touching down late in 2021, ahead of deliveries starting early in 2022.
Stay tuned to CarExpert for the latest on the upcoming Subaru WRX sedan and Sportswagon.
MORE: 2022 Subaru WRX revealed
MORE: 2022 Subaru Levorg to morph into WRX wagon
