As far as badges go, Subaru has built ‘STI’ into a legend. Right up there with AMG, RS and GTI. But with reputation comes responsibility.

When the STI badge ventured from the WRX to the fourth-gen Liberty, Subaru went all-out with pillow-ball suspension, Brembo brakes and a healthy engine tune to keep its reputation intact. Now the badge meets the Levorg.

The priciest GT-S variant was trounced by Skoda’s Octavia RS230 in a MOTOR-hosted face-off not so long ago, where the Czech exposed a lacklustre chassis and uninspiring boxer engine on the Subaru’s part.

Styling-wise, it has a new front bumper, new grille, and importantly, a pink badge in the grille’s bottom-right corner. Our test car came in WR Blue with attractive 18-inch STI alloys.The other stuff is inside, with the side sills, instrument cluster, and steering wheel scoring STI logos. Although the real highlights are the maroon leather sports seats, which are more comfortable than the WRX STI Spec R’s Recaros, and suit the cabin’s solidness and refinement.

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We can report cornering prowess has improved, slightly, while upgraded brake pads have firmed pedal feel and revealed the new suspension setup doesn’t pitch as hard into corners.

This composure still unravels the faster you go, though. That front axle or the tyres never feel up to your enthusiasm levels. There’s also still too much jiggling over bumpy stuff as the dampers struggle to keep the wagon’s mass tied down – not to mention the fact the steering is void of feel, feedback or precision. At corners you take bites with the speed-sensitive steering to find a line, which is a shame because the Levorg balances well once hooked in.

STAR RATING: 3/5

Like: Solid cabin; lovely seats; wagon looks Dislike: Bland steering; poor ride; grip limits

2018 SUBARU LEVORG STI SPORT SPECS Engine: 1998cc flat-4cyl, DOHC, 16v, turbo Power: 197kW @ 5600rpm Torque: 350Nm @ 2400-5200rpm Weight: 1539kg 0-100km/h: 6.6sec (estimated) Price: $51,990