Without looking at the badge, the dashboard of the new Subarus could be mistaken for one out of latest Volvos.
The all-new Subaru Impreza is set to receive some pretty substantial updates on the interior department when it arrives in 2021.
Taken from what appears to be an official Subaru brochure courtesy of the Japanese auto site Creative Trend, this image you see here looks to be the interior of the Levorg. However, expect a similar interior in both the Impreza WRX and the Legacy as they all share the same platform.
While the sharp lines of the previous generation Subaru interior remains, those details are now mixed with a large central portrait touchscreen infotainment display. Along with the vertical vents, at a glance one can’t help but wonder if this interior actually belongs to a Volvo.
That being said though, with Volvo interiors being one of the best in the business, having a Volvo-esque interior in a Scooby is no bad thing.
From that sole picture, notice that the screen is actually smaller than it looks. Because on either side of that portrait screen is two thick black borders with physical controls. On the top right there is a cut out for a physical hazard light button. Lower down meanwhile, there are two physical rotary dials that appear to control the volume and the tuner, and beneath those are possibly haptic-feedback buttons for temperature settings of the dual zone climate control.
On the topic of the climate control, it would seem like the bottom of the portrait screen will be a permanent display dedicated to the climate control settings. A nice touch as occupants will not need to go through to another menu to fiddle around with the climate settings, disrupting what was already on the main screen.
Despite bearing significant resemblance to the Swedish automaker, there are still some distinctively Subaru touches on the interior that harks back to its rallying heritage. You won’t find a bright red starter button or drilled aluminium pedals on any stock Volvo that’s for sure.
A chunky, flat bottomed, multi-function steering wheel further emphasises that you are driving a car from the 3 constructors and drivers championships in the World Rally Championship. And behind that thick-rimmed wheel is a TFT digital instrument display, a first for the Japanese manufacturer.
Already spotted undisguised around Japan, the new Levorg should hit Japanese showrooms at the end of November this year, with the Impreza following close behind.
As of now, it is still uncertain what powertrains will be available on the Levorg, all we do now however is that there will be a 2.4 litre turbocharged Levorg STI utilising the same engine that is slated to go in the next generation WRX STI.
A 2.4 litre turbocharged WRX STI with a desirable interior, this new STI may be king of the hot hatches once more.
