After just four years in the market, the Subaru Impreza gets an all-new replacement.
- What's the hurry?
It's possible that fans weren't too happy with the styling and driving manners of the third-gen Impreza (the one sitting in Thai showrooms today), so Subaru rushed in the all-new replacement which made its world debut in New York late last week.
In fact, the Impreza's styling was always open to debate ever since it saw the light of the day in 1990s. The first one was considered bland, the second too radical with its bug-eyed headlamps and the third too meek to please men.
That's why the fourth one seen here comes with bolder lines which, in fact, were inspired by last year's Impreza Concept. Subaru wouldn't mind you calling its new C-segment car the baby brother to the Legacy D-segment member.
- No wonder there are some hints of an Accord...
Yeah, the C-pillar theme of both the Impreza (in saloon form) and Legacy tend to ape that of the Honda. But elsewhere, the Impreza stands out with hawk-eyed headlights and hexagonal grille. The chunky fenders house wheels ranging from 15-17 inches.
The same goes for the inside that has evolved in a bolder manner, such as the chunky steering wheel and gearknob. The fascia looks a little bland, but Subarus have always been known to place ease of use over aesthetics.
Like the outside, the cabin has bolder lines.
- What are the other improvements?
Subaru stresses better interior space, refinement and driving agility. Although the car's overall length remains basically the same at 4,414mm, the wheelbase has grown by over 20mm to 2,644mm for better legroom.
The driving bit of the previous Impreza wasn't accepted too well, particularly by driving enthusiasts who found the handling on the soggy side (the soft suspension was supposed to attract a wider set of buyers).
The strut/double wishbone front/rear suspension matrix remains the same, but Subaru says the components are now ''stronger''.
- What about the engines?
Subaru has announced two petrol engines initially: the same 2.0-litre producing 150hp and a new 1.6 superseding the 1.5, both mated to a CVT automatic in place of the conventional four-speed auto and four-wheel-drive with variable torque split between the front and rear axles.
Although today's Impreza is being imported in two engine variances, the new one will come to Thailand with just the 2.0. Executives at Motor Image Subaru Thailand conceded to Life that the entry-level model was not popular among Thais (why would you want an imported Subaru that moves at snail's pace?).
- And the turbo'd Boxers?
Yes, the engine aficionados have always been looking for that. No, Subaru hasn't announced details for the WRX yet. But is has confirmed that the STi range-topper now is a stand-alone model, meaning that you can expect to see the third-gen STi in showrooms together with the fourth-gen non-STi models.
It would be interesting to see how the WRX (and STi) would evolve in the transmission race. Currently, there's only a trad five-speed manual and automatic to choose from. While the whole world is embracing dual-clutch auto tech, we won't want to think the CVT transferring power to the road for the turbo'd Imps.
- When is the Imp coming?
The original plan was to introduce it in Thailand at the year-end Motor Expo. However, the power shortage problems in Japan (where it will be imported from) might defer the launch to next year, according to company executives.
Expect prices to be relatively the same as today: under 1.5 million baht in 2.0 form, thanks to some subsidies from the parent firm.
THE IMPREZA FAMILY
SALOON
It may be the traditional choice of many Thais, but the four-door saloon isn't really appealing in imported form because Thai-built rivals in the Toyota Corolla class cost less at 1 million baht. The four-wheel-drive aspect may be a selling point of the Impreza, but little is still known today how true this is.
HATCH
The five-door hatchback was always available in the Thai model range, but real sales only came in third-generation form. The new one seen here should sell better than the saloon because it faces lesser rivals: the Ford Focus and Mazda 3. But as an import, the 1.5-million-baht Impreza 2.0 sounds better than the dearer Peugeot 308 1.6T and Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI.
CROSSOVER
The Thai Subaru agent is pinning its hopes on this ''jacked up'' Impreza called the XV because it basically has no rivals in the Thai market. At 1.5 million baht, Subaru wants to attract SUV punters who find the Honda CR-V too feminine and cumbersome to drive. It's still billed as a concept today, but the production version is set for next year.
Credit: Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment