Friday 15th April 2005

New Impreza becomes a hatch

Details leak about Subaru's new pocket rocket

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Current Impreza almost last of the line

Subaru's next Impreza is to be an all-new hot hatch, according to Auto Express. It's a big jump for the company that's made its reputation on indestructible estates and relatively low-cost but PDQ turbo-charged saloons. The move follows Mitsubishi's major shake-up of its Evo line.

Impreza chief engineer, Hiroshi Mori, is reported to have said that the car is likely to look different, as well as being lighter and cheaper to build than today's Impreza.

The car will feature a shorter wheelbase and stiffer body, contributing to better handling. It's to be squared off at the rear with long nose -- prompted presumably by pedestrian-safety legislation rather than stylistic reasons. The intercooler moves to the front of the car rather than sitting on top, under that definitive bonnet scoop.

The new hatch will consist of 1.5 and 2.0-litre entry-level variants, according to Auto Express, with the flagship models housing a turbo-charged 2.0-litre lump kicking out 300bhp, and mated to five and six-speed manual gearboxes. There'll even be a five-speed auto. And there'll also be the fancy electronics to allow you to challenge the laws of adhesion and friction.

The new car won't arrive until 2007, so Subaru has a face-lift of the current Impreza in the brew as a stop-gap.

• Auto Express

[huge]

"...cheaper to build"... that will mean cheaper to buy then.....sorry I forgot,its the car industry we're talking about here.Platform/component sharing=more profit,not cheaper products.

[ubergreg]

That's a bit of a shame, it becoming just another hot hatch. I always liked the idea of the uber pocket-saloon with a big wing.

[snorky]

have you seen the new "corporate look" for Subaru ? Jeez they're ugly

[Robbo1]

So it's going to be lighter AND stiffer, despite having a large hole in the rear for a hatchback?
Or are they saying the current saloon isn't very stiff...

[smifffy]

Hmm, am a little worried about this. I'd always appreciated the practicality of the Impreza range. Having the huge door opening and reasonable sized boot is _such_ an advantage.

If I wanted a hot hatch I'd have bought a Clio 182, V6 or the ilk. I didn't - I wanted a good sized rocket mobile.

I also think that shortening the sheelbase won't necessarily lead to better handling. It will lead to skittish handling on the edge and make it more difficult to catch when sliding. Bah.

I hope Subaru are able to take care of my worries and produce a monster-mobile. The P1's got nearly 50k miles now and might be due for replacement before very long....

[ribbo]

silly question, will it still have 4wd?

[John Nowak]

I welcome the change myself.

[summit7]

Sounds like a Nissan GTI-R, long bonnet on hatchback body that goes rallying. Nobody complained about that car. I've always liked small performance saloons (learnt to drive on a Vitesse, hankered after a 2002Tii) but I think it is time for Subaru to move on the current car is ugly and maybe has lost its shine a little through over familiarisation but good to see it being competitive again in WRC.

[4WD]

As long as the wheels are right in the corners it should have almost the same wheel base, thus similar handling. However if they use large overhangs it could go a little too twitchy. We need pictures to comment any further.

Handling aside, lighter, faster and cheaper sounds good. As long as they keep 300bhp minimum, that is.

[rickos]

saw what's meant to be the impreza hatch on the front of autoexpress earlier, OMG!!!

it looks like a chav'd up Seat Ibiza

[little vik]

i love the idea, i hate the way all performance cars are big. im teeny and like little pocket rockets and think they just dont make enough of them

[robdickinson]

little vik said:

i love the idea, i hate the way all performance cars are big. im teeny and like little pocket rockets and think they just dont make enough of them

So the clio 182, civic typ R, Cooper s works etc arnd performance enough for the market? Prehaps a BMW M1 will suit?

[little vik]

naa sorry had most of them and theyre not fast enough for me!! Plus theyre not turbo power

[little vik]

I do think there is a place for a 4dr scooby as well as a mini beast hatch though

[Twincam16]

little vik said:

I do think there is a place for a 4dr scooby as well as a mini beast hatch though

Well before the Impreza, Subaru rallied the Legacy, which is a bit of a sleeper in its current form.

[NDT]

huge said:

"...cheaper to build"... that will mean cheaper to buy then.....sorry I forgot,its the car industry we're talking about here.Platform/component sharing=more profit,not cheaper products. <br/>

what???????
So car companies should charitably pass on all savings to the consumer should they?
Car companies aren't making much profit at the moment anyway. Prices are set at what the market can stand...

[negative creep]

I did see a few computer pics and it looked smart, reminded me of the Alfa 145