How is the combination of Winding and Levorg Layback?
The impression of running such a Levorg Layback was that it had a really Subaru-like, gentle ride.
What impressed me most was how quiet it was, and even on rough roads like this one, the road noise was perfectly suppressed.
The secret seems to be in the all-season tire “Falken ZIEX ZE001 A/S”, which is also used for Crosstrek. Tests have shown that this tire not only contributes to ride comfort in the normal use range, but also has excellent quietness.
By the way, the defense range is until the beginning of snow. As you can see from the fact that there is no snowflake mark, Subaru does not actively recommend driving on snow.
Equipped with Falken “ZIEX ZE001A A/S” (225/55R18) all-season tires.It is also installed on Crosstrek, and it is said that it is not developed exclusively for Levorg’s layback.
And for these tires and increased vehicle height, a dedicated suspension was given. In curves, dampers and springs controlled the movement of the center of gravity slowly, suppressing roll without compromising ride comfort.
This time, there were some points where there were a lot of ups and downs, but it was wonderful that the toe change did not occur even on such a road surface, and the behavior was stable even if the floating body made a strong landing. I was able to continue running with peace of mind while maintaining a constant steering angle.
Of course, the low center of gravity of the horizontally opposed engine, the low weight of the overhang, and the traction of the 4WD also contribute to this, but here the stroke-up brings about little change in the geometry and the ability to handle rough roads. I felt strength working.
If there is something that bothers me, it would be that the response at the beginning of steering is a little dull. In particular, the test drive road this time was a winding road with a high curvature and the width of the road was quite narrow, so it was not suitable for laybacks. Naturally, the normal Levorg with its high suspension rigidity and low center of gravity is much better for such stages.
Also, while waiting for the car to turn at the beginning of the turn, the engine speed dropped, and it was a pity that I was worried about turbo lag when the accelerator was turned on. As the boost pressure does not rise, the accelerator opening naturally increases, so the traction of the 4WD also accelerates at once.
This is the weak point of the horizontally opposed 4-cylinder turbo, which has a displacement of only 1.8 liters, so it can no longer be helped. I wouldn’t go so far as to suggest adding a variable geometry turbine, but I honestly think that the motor should support the low-speed torque here.
And if the steering is a variable gear ratio, I thought it might be a bit of a solution. This is because if the turn-in becomes linear, the start of stepping on the accelerator will be quicker and all connections will be smoother. Moreover, it would be great if the electronically controlled variable dampers introduced in the STI could be used to improve quality and stability, rather than sportiness.
It’s a pity that it couldn’t run on public roads because it was a prototype, but the Levorg Rayback should be able to bring out its full potential when it runs at about 60km/h in town and 100km/h on highways. I was able to get a glimpse of it this time, but it would be better to prove the true value of “Another Levorg” at that time.
Levorg Rayback (Prototype) Vehicle equipped with STI parts Levorg Rayback (Prototype) Vehicle equipped with genuine accessories
2023-09-07 02:00:00
#Test #drive #Subarus #Revorg #Rayback #prototype #impression #driving #closed #public #road
