Performance Trio
Subaru’s 2018 Performance range (the all-wheel drive turbocharged WRX, WRX STi and Levorg 2.0 GT-S) has been dressed to impress.
Mechanical and cosmetic modifications have muscled up the owner experience to new adrenaline-charged levels as the Rex pair add to their rally-backed reputation and the Levorg 2.0 GT-S cements itself in Kiwi culture as a stylish, high-performance sports wagon with substance.
The handsome trio now hit the town and country roads sporting multiple external and cabin changes, which include new alloy wheel designs, front grilles, front bumpers and LED headlight designs.
Across the performance range an even greater attention to interior quality adds to the air of exclusivity, plus driver comfort has been bumped up with a 10-way power driver seat with memory, while the introduction of EyeSight® Driver Assist in the WRX automatic transmission variant extends Subaru’s dominance in bringing the potentially accident-avoiding technology to the masses, like: a Front View Monitor, which helps prevent collisions at intersections or when parking close to walls or other objects; the Smart Rear View Mirror that features a camera located in the top of the rear tail gate, showing a rear image in the rear view mirror; and Auto Vehicle Hold (AVH), which alleviates driver fatigue by holding the vehicle in position when stopped.
They may be better looking on the outside, but they are just wild on the inside!
The Levorg 2.0 GT-S’s external refinements mean the spiritual successor to the much-loved Legacy GT wagon looks even sharper than when it was launched in New Zealand in June last year. But to prove it’s not all about just external attractiveness, Subaru engineers have further refined Levorg’s ride with improvements to the Bilstein suspension and other suspension components.
New on all WRX STi models is a significant braking and wheel upgrade from the already impressive Brembo four-piston front and two-piston rear calipers on the superseded model, to enormous 340mm front and 326mm rear cross-drilled rotors, clamped by six-piston front and two-piston rear yellow Brembo calipers. They also receive a new design 19-inch alloy wheel. Entry-level WRX STis gain heated door mirrors, while WRX STi Premium adds the Front View Monitor. All STi models have also received changes to suspension components and the Driver’s Controlled Centre Differential to improve performance even further.
As with the entire Subaru new car range, every Levorg 2.0 GT-S, WRX and WRX STI has an independent five-star rating for occupant safety.
“Over the years, WRX and STi have gained a special place in our rally heritage market and they continuously rate very highly in the ‘bang for your buck’ equation. Now we have added the Levorg 2.0 GT-S, which falls into the same stunning performance category but provides more boot space for Kiwi adventurers to fit all their sporting gear into,” says Wallis Dumper, Subaru of New Zealand’s managing director .
