2022 Subaru Levorg likely to get WRX turbo power – and name – in Australia

Japanese magazine Best Car reports the new 2022 Subaru WRX's 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder 'boxer' engine will eventually make its way under the bonnet of the new Levorg.

It's unclear if this will be for domestic and/or international markets such as Australia.

However, Subaru Australia has recently indicated the next-generation Levorg wagon would evolve into a more hardcore, performance-focused model than its predecessor.

A Subaru Australia spokesperson said: "Levorg has proved its worth as a niche turbo wagon and will morph into something slightly different for the new generation. While the Japanese Levorg offers some cosmetic clues, there will be some significant technical variations to cars delivered in Australia."

The soon-to-be-replaced WRX sedan and outgoing Levorg wagon are twins under the skin, but wear unique names.

Subaru has previously sold both sedan and wagon versions of the WRX with earlier generations of the iconic nameplate.

If the speculation about engine power is true – the WRX is expected to have quote outputs of 213kW and 412Nm – it would mark a significant step up from the 1.8-litre turbo four-cylinder currently available in the Subaru wagon in its Japanese domestic market (130kW and 300Nm).

It wouldn't be the first time the Levorg borrowed its mechanicals from the WRX, given GT-S and STI Sport variants of the outgoing wagon shared the sedan's 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder with an identical 197kW/350Nm output.

The outgoing Levorg was only available with a CVT automatic matched to all-wheel drive. It is unclear if a Subaru WRX wagon would have the choice of manual and automatic transmissions, as per the sedan.

Unveiled in August 2020, the new Subaru Levorg is based on the Japanese brand's latest Subaru Global Platform, and scores its latest cabin technologies, including an 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.

The 2022 Subaru Levorg (or WRX Wagon) is expected to go on sale in Australia in the second half of this year.