2023 Subaru Outback vs 2020 Subaru Levorg

What's the difference?

Is it a station wagon or an SUV? It's kinda both. The new Outback AWD Sport XT has the AWD capabilities of an SUV but the concise handling of a station wagon and it's a wonderful combo for a family car.

The Sport XT is one of the two models Subaru is offering with a new turbo-petrol engine (hurrah) and it sits second from the top in the line-up but how does it stack up after a week with my family of three? Check it out below.

Need proof that the humble wagon is now the domain of the enthusiast? Subaru tells us the top-spec performance oriented STI Sport is its best-selling variant.

The Levorg is an odd one indeed, a seemingly unnecessary addition to Subaru’s wagon-heavy range in a world where mass consumerism has shunned low-slung bodies in favour of pumped up SUV-types. Practicality be damned.

The trouble with appealing to enthusiasts though, is you’d better get it right, or you’ll face a backlash. So, does the Levorg have what it takes to build one of those money-can’t-buy hardcore fanbases?

I took the Levorg STI for a spin around the heart of Subaru country in the Kosciuszko National Park at the height of winter to find out.