December 7, 2020

The Subaru Levorg is the 2020-2021 Japan Car of the Year


The 2021 Subaru Levorg is the 2020-2021 Japan Car of the Year. The sports tourer managed to best 33 eligible entries (check out the Top 10 finalists here) to take the top prize.

Jurors praised the Levorg for its refined, yet spirited handling thanks to its migration to the Subaru Global Platform. Moreover, it was loved for the new ZF-developed electronically controlled damper system—the first Subaru to receive such a feature.

The all-new Levorg uses a 1.8-liter turbocharged direct-injection turbocharged engine making 177 horsepower and 300 Nm of torque. The sole transmission is the Lineartronic CVT driving all four wheels via a Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system. Jurors noted the new engine for its smoothness and tractability.

Being the first Subaru production vehicle designed under the concept of “BOLDER,” the all-new Levorg features a more striking design with angular wheel arches, cut-out head-and taillights, and wheel sizes in either 17- or 18-inches (215/50R17 or 225/45 R18 tires installed). It also manages to maintain the trademark hood scoop despite stricter pedestrian impact regulations.

The all-new 2021 Levorg also debuts a new version of the Subaru EyeSight Technology which adds Emergency Lane Keep Assist to its usual driver assist suite. A more advanced version, called EyeSight X, adds autonomous driving capabilities thanks to the use of 3D high-precision map data. Features here include hands-off assist during traffic jams, active lane change assist, and automatic speed control in curves and toll gates.

Other big winners in the 2020-2021 Japan Car of the Year are:
  • Japan Import Car of the Year: Peugeot 208
  • Japan Kei Car of the Year: Nissan Roox / Mitsubishi eK
  • Japan Performance Car of the Year: BMW Alpina B3
  • Japan Car Design of the Year: Mazda MX-30
  • Japan Car Technology of the Year: Audi e-tron Sportback
This is how the scored tallied up:
  1. Subaru Levorg - 437 points
  2. Honda Fit - 320 points
  3. Toyota Yaris / Yaris Cross / GR Yaris - 300 points
  4. Peugeot 208 / e208 - 141 points
  5. Land Rover Defender - 105 points
  6. Audi e-tron Sportback - 65 points
  7. Mazda MX-30 - 63 points
  8. BMW Alpina B3 - 25 points
  9. BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe - 24 points
  10. Nissan Kicks - 20 points

No comments:

Post a Comment

Feel free to comment or share your views. Comments that are derogatory and/or spam will not be tolerated. We reserve the right to moderate and/or remove comments.