Subaru Impreza CS400: Spotted

PH goes shopping for an alternative to the Mercedes A45 AMG

So the Mercedes A45 AMG has largely lived up to expectations as AMG's first hot hatch (no, the A210 Evolution definitely doesn't count); it's hugely fast, confidence-inspiring and rewarding, a world away from the AMG of not so many years ago.

Finding a conceptual predecessor is therefore quite challenging. The Audi RS3 is also turbocharged and sends more than 300hp to all four wheels but, as Chris Harris found out in a video comparison with That BMW recently, it rather struggled when push came to push-on understeer.

AMG didn't invent the fast 4WD hatchback...

So what else is there? The VW Golf R also does the premium 4WD hatch things quite well, but it's rather lacking power in this company. A Focus RS, particularly a Mountune version, boasts the requisite power but is FWD only and Volvo killed off the C30 without delivering on a 4WD Polestar.

Therefore, we give you the Subaru Impreza CS400, aka the Impreza Cosworth.

Let's deal with the absent commonalities first. On-board connectivity in the Impreza is between your bum and the seats, plus your hands and the wheel. Who wants to Tweet in the car anyway? A combined 35mpg will only be achieved while being towed. And the only premium aspect of a Subaru Impreza is its required fuel grade.

So there are some rather fundamental differences. However, the A-Class AMG and Impreza Cosworth do share a few key attributes; both are less than £40,000, both have over 350hp with absurd specific outputs from turbocharged four-cylinder engines and both are 4WD, five-door hatchbacks with a surfeit of all-weather performance.

But when it was launched back in 2010, the focus was on a single Impreza statistic; its £50,000 price. The 230-comment thread following the PH news story was dominated by readers aghast at the cost, many highlighting the Nissan GT-R's price in comparison and the availability of Litchfield-tweaked Imprezas with similar performance for less.

Depreciation is your friend if you're buying a CS400

However, with just 75 examples made, surely it would retain its value strongly like great Imprezas such as the 22B? Erm, not exactly. Our featured CS400 is on a '61' plate and so isn't even two years old. In that time and 12,000 miles, it has lost £16,051, or just over 32 per cent of its value. Ouch.

Perhaps it's the hatch bodystyle, but the market simply hasn't warmed to the CS400. And this is despite a mainly positive press reception. Our colleagues at Autocar praised the revised suspension set up, with new bushings, Bilstein dampers and Eibach springs resulting in 'an STi that is much more controlled, responsive and precise to drive, and yet it's also suited to rutted UK tarmac'. The CS400 was also praised for its 'remarkable' damping finesse.

The fact it has dropped so much already implies the Impreza Cosworth will continue to depreciate as if it were mass-produced for a while yet. Bringing the A45 AMG back into the discussion, values will inevitably soften once the initial launch hype has died down. Given its entry price, however, it probably won't plummet like the biggest AMG saloons.

If you're one of the many saddened by the demise of fast UK Imprezas and disappointed by Subaru denying us that stunning New York concept too, the CS400 looks a great way to keep the fire burning. It's still not cheap, but who thought the most powerful roadgoing Impreza ever would be under £35K now back in 2010?

Subaru Impreza CS400
Engine: 2,457cc flat-4 turbo
Power (hp): 400@5,750rpm
Torque (lb ft): 400@3,950rpm
MPG: 26.9 (standard STI hatchback)
CO2: 243g/km (standard STI hatchback)
First registered: 2011
Price new: £49,995
Yours for: £33,944

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soad

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