Only the second-generation Levorg station wagon and the fifth Forester are currently equipped with the 1.8-liter Subaru CB18 engine, which the company first unveiled at the 2019 auto show. The capacity to operate in an especially cost-effective Lean Burn mode sets this turbo unit apart.
The Levorg model’s second generation made its debut with a new 1.8-liter turbo engine in 2020. This is a four-cylinder boxer unit with direct fuel injection, an aluminum block, an open cooling jacket, two aluminum DOHC heads without hydraulic lifters, a timing chain drive, and a unique variable valve timing system of the AVCS type. Supercharging is accomplished by a small Garrett M12 turbine with a traditional air intercooler.
Additionally, desaxage, a contemporary variable displacement oil pump, and piston cooling nozzles are installed on a rather short crankshaft with thin cheeks. Additionally, the device can run on a lean mixture in the cost-effective Lean Burn mode.
There is just one internal combustion engine in the CB line.
The engine was mounted on:
- Subaru Forester 5 (SK) since 2020;
- Subaru Levorg 2 (VN) since 2020;
- Subaru Outback 6 (BT) since 2021.
Specifications
| Start of production | 2020 |
| Displacement, cc | 1795 |
| Fuel system | direct injection |
| Power output, hp | 177 |
| Torque output, Nm | 300 |
| Cylinder block | aluminum H4 |
| Block head | aluminum 16v |
| Cylinder bore, mm | 80.6 |
| Piston stroke, mm | 88 |
| Compression ratio | 10.4 |
| Features | no |
| Hydraulic lifters | no |
| Timing drive | chain |
| Turbocharging | Garrett M12 |
| Recommended engine oil | 0W-16, 0W-20 |
| Engine oil capacity, liter | 4.3 |
| Fuel type | petrol |
| Euro standards | EURO 6 |
| Fuel consumption, L/100 km (for Subaru Levorg 2021) — city — highway — combined |
9.8 6.4 7.3 |
| Engine lifespan, km | ~200 000 |
| Weight, kg | 125 |
Disadvantages of the CB18 engine
Since this turbo engine has only recently been introduced and there are no comprehensible statistics of malfunctions, we can only speculate about potentially troublesome parts of the engine, such as thin chains in the timing drive or a variable displacement oil pump, as well as the recommended type of lubricant 0W-16 and whether the owners will experience an oil burner.