After seeing spy shots of the front end of the next generation Impreza, there are no surprises on that front, but there sure are with the rest of the car.
The rest of the design elements can only be described as bold. In typical Subaru fashion, I’m willing to bet this new design will be just as polarizing as Imprezas before it. What should be pleasing to everyone, however, are the Legacy-esque headlights. Every headlight design of the Impreza since the “bug-eyed” look from 2002 has generated sharp criticism. But with sharp creases and bulges everywhere, it’s clear that Subaru wants this Impreza to stand out. In fact, there seems to be lots of bulging a la WRX and STi going on here, which begs the question, just how radical are those designs going to be?
This new Impreza is 110 pounds lighter than its predecessor. This helps translate into better fuel efficiency, also helped out by the new, more efficient 4-cylinder boxer engine mated to a 5-speed manual or a CVT. If you want a six speed, you’ll have to go for the STi. It’s the only Impreza to ever get a 6-speed. The 2.0 litre engine produces 148 horsepower and 145 pound feet of torque. Believe it or not, that’s actually less powerful than the engine in the current generation. 22 horses and 25 pound feet of torque less to be precise. But there is no penalty in acceleration as this new Impreza gets from 0-100 in 9.8 seconds which is actually 0.3 seconds faster than the current Impreza. The obvious gain in doing this is for fuel efficiency. The new Impreza gets 8.7 l/100 kms and 6.5 highway.
Of course, all-wheel drive is standard.
Hit the jump to see more pics and pics of the sedan.
What do you think of the new Impreza? Is it a love it or hate it design?
[Subaru]
The outside look is ok. Not the best in the category but definitely better looking than the previous version, I like the 5-door. The inside while not being spectacular is classy enough. But I agree the biggest improvement is this new engine. I look at the consumption and it’s close to my Honda Civic, very impressive for an all-wheel drive. If I had to buy a new car today this new Impreza would probably be at the top of my list.