Subaru WRX wagon to get Crosstrek XV treatment report
First the latest Subaru WRX sedan gained body cladding reminiscent of Subaru SUVs. Now the WRX wagon is in line for an off-road makeover, according to Japanese reports.
Subaru may be working new model combining the best bits from the WRX Sportswagon and the Crosstrek (formerly the XV) soft-roader, if unconfirmed reports out of Japan prove to be true.
Japanese publication Best Car claims Subaru is currently working on a high-riding version of the WRX Sportswagon – badged in its native market as the Levorg – which adopts rugged off-road elements seen on the Crosstrek and Outback.
The Crosstrek (previously the XV) is a high-riding version of the Impreza hatchback, complete with black plastic body cladding – in the same way the Outback is the high-riding version of the Liberty (which was axed from the Australian line-up in 2020).
Best Car reports the WRX Sportswagon will get the same increased ground clearance as the Crosstrek, from 145mm to 200mm.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a soft-road version of the WRX wagon.
In production for just one year and only available to the Japanese market, the Subaru Gravel Express was launched in 1995 based on the first-generation Impreza WRX wagon, with just 1345 believed to have been made.
MORE: Subaru Crosstrek 2.5-litre under consideration for Australia
Along with a suspension lift, the Gravel Express featured a nudge bar at the front with headlight guards, a full-size spare wheel mounted on a swing-arm at the rear, an optional aluminium skid plate, and a two-tone paint job.
While the Gravel Express name could be revived for the new-generation version, given the Gravel Express isn’t well known outside enthusiast circles, it seems more plausible Subaru will instead opt to call the new model the WRX Sportswagon Wilderness, or Crosstrek Sportswagon XT.
It could also wear a brand-new badge – given the Impreza and Liberty wagons wear new names in their high-riding forms.
Subaru has confirmed Wilderness variants – the badge given to off-road focused models – will be coming to Australia, some two years after the nameplate was launched in the US.
While less likely, another potential name is the WRX Sportwagon Boost Gear.
The Boost Gear name was trademarked in late March 2023 – months after Subaru showed off its Crosstrek Boost Gear concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon, intended to showcase accessories that could boost the car’s off-road capability.
‘Boost’ is also the term used to refer to the air pressure created from a turbocharger – the engine component that gives the WRX its performance advantage.
MORE: Subaru Wilderness models on track for Australia
However, the Best Car report claims Subaru will fit the high-riding WRX wagon with the 1.8-litre turbo engine – currently standard on the Japanese-market Levorg – producing a modest 130kW and 300Nm, with no mention of the 2.4-litre turbo engine sold in the Australian WRX Sportswagon.
If the smaller engine is offered – and the car joins the Subaru line-up in Australia – it’s possible the WRX name would be dropped and the model is instead marketed as a Crosstrek Sportswagon XT, much like the popular turbocharged Subaru Outback XT, or a reprisal of the Levorg badge.
The report claims the rugged Subaru wagon will be launched in Japan’s autumn season – Australia’s spring – with no indication yet of whether it will be offered locally.
The post Subaru WRX wagon to get Crosstrek XV treatment – report appeared first on Drive.
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