SUBARU owners worldwide are very loyal to the marque. They revel in the safe handling, capability, quality and practicality of the vehicles and this strong allegiance ensures the company maintains its global leadership for all-wheel-drive sales.

So the firm’s latest offering, the refreshed five-seat Levorg GT, is receiving an enthusiastic welcome, especially as it is the spiritual successor to the long-running Legacy.

With its swept-back profile it is a handsome family estate having been designed to strike a balance between Subaru’s performance range and the more practical appearance of a tourer. The frontal area also looks striking and takes its inspiration from the rally-famous WRX STi with a prominent Subaru signature bonnet scoop.

At £29,680 on the road the Levorg is not cheap but the refinement and high technology are outstanding so that the vehicle should prove fairly strong opposition to main rivals such as the Volvo V60 Cross Country, Skoda Octavia, Mazda 6, and Ford Mondeo estates.

Under the bonnet is a specially-developed 1.6-litre flat-four petrol ‘Boxer’ motor with its low centre of gravity. Pity there is only one motor mated to the specially-designed CVT auto gearbox. A bigger petrol engine and a diesel option would broaden the car’s appeal.

However, with 170PS and 250Nm of torque or pulling power on offer across a wide rev range, the 1.6 engine is a cracker and for extra urge the driver has the option of selecting gears manually via the steering wheel mounted paddles.

The motor, boosted by a turbocharger, powers the Levorg from 0-62mph in 8.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 130mph while returning fuel economy of 39.8mpg on the combined cycle, according to Subaru. C02 emissions are 164 (g/km).

While the Levorg may not be the quickest in its class, it offers plenty of performance and handles well, partly due to its advanced all-wheel-drive and first-class chassis and suspension, largely borrowed from the WRX.

The steering is spot on, being positive and nicely weighted to communicate accurately with the driver. And with the added benefit of four-wheel-drive, both grip and body control are impressive so that the driver can tackle fast and twisty routes with much confidence.

The ride is on the firm side but the car settles down at higher speeds to become a smooth operator.

As one might expect from Subaru, build and cabin quality are of a high standard with top-bracket fabrics, soft-touch plastics and leather-trimmed sports seats which are comfortable and supportive.

The refined interior is spacious with rear passengers having decent head and legroom. The boot is also large and when the rear seats are folded becomes fairly cavernous for a vehicle in its class.

The car bristles with new technology and now includes the company’s advanced Eyesight driver assistance system, a camera set up that has safety features such as pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control and lane departure and sway warning alerts for the driver. Also fitted as standard is Subaru’s seven-inch touch screen infotainment, connectivity and navigation system.?The Levorg, fitted with LED lights, is the first turbocharged model to have Subaru’s stop and start system which automatically stops the engine while halted in traffic.

Roy Lewis