Wednesday 5th April 2006

Subaru offers free Impreza upgrades

Ten-plus per cent power boost also available

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Subaru Impreza WRX Type UK

Subaru is releasing a flurry of specials this week, including a special Impreza WRX and new Prodrive Performance Packs for the Impreza and Forester.

Limited edition Impreza WRX

There's a limited edition of the Impreza 2.5 WRX, with Subaru saying that it offers customers £3,635 worth of extra value free, but only until 30 June when the offer ends.

Available as a saloon only, the ‘Type UK’ provides security and convenience and includes:

• Five year/50,000 miles’ free servicing – worth over £1,000
• Five year/100,000 miles’ extended warranty – worth £1,000
• Free theft-tracking system, satellite navigation and touch screen – worth £1,100
• Free ‘Bluetooth’ hands-free phone kit – worth £285
• Free five years’ roadside recovery – worth £250

Based on the latest facelifted Impreza WRX with its new 227bhp 2.5 litre turbocharged boxer-four, the four-wheel-drive Type UK costs £20,945 on-the road and has a 143 mph top speed with 0-60 mph time of 5.4 seconds.

The theft-tracking and navigation systems are Trackstar and SmartNav which come with 12 months’ free membership. This also includes three months’ trial membership of ‘SafeSpeed’.

Already offered with a three year/60,000 mile ‘bumper to bumper’ factory warranty, the extra two years and 100,000 mile limit is restricted to drivetrain only. Like the five year/50,000 mile free servicing, it is not transferable.

Prodrive Performance Packs

The new Prodrive-developed Performance Packs (PPP) are now available for the ’06 model year Impreza 2.5 WRX, WRX STI (and the new spec.D version) plus the latest Forester 2.5 XT manual.

According to Subaru, all offer a dramatic improvement in low and mid-range power and torque, aiding engine flexibility and throttle response. The new Impreza WRX delivers 74lb-ft more torque, for example and top-end power is up with the latest Impreza 2.5 WRX STI with PPP now producing 316bhp, a 38bhp increase.

Meanwhile, the Impreza 2.5 WRX and Forester 2.5 XT manual with PPP produce 266 and 256bhp – boosts of 39 and 30bhp respectively. A PPP for the Forester 2.5 XT auto will be available shortly.

All kits are available from any Subaru dealer for £1,700 including VAT and fitting and do not affect the standard vehicle warranty. All also pass full UK Type Approval regulations for noise and emissions.

The extra power and torque are achieved by re-programmed Electronic Control Units (ECU) plus the removal of the rear catalytic converter, fitment of a high-flow catalyst and sports silencer. The Impreza WRX STI also has a new high-flow fuel pump.

Impreza 2.5 WRX STI PPP

Figures for the latest Impreza 2.5 WRX STI with PPP show power up to 316bhp at 6,000 rpm instead of 5,600 rpm and torque now at 332lb-ft at 3,700 rpm instead of 289lb-ft at 4,000 rpm. This drops the 0-60mph time from 5.0 to 4.8 seconds with 0-100 mph in 12.2 as opposed to 12.5 seconds.

The 30-50 mph time in fourth gear is reduced from 4.8 to 4.3 seconds, with the 50-70 mph time in fifth gear coming down to 4.3 instead of 5.1 seconds. At higher speeds the 80-100 mph time is now 6.3 instead of 7.6 seconds.

Impreza 2.5 WRX PPP

The new Impreza 2.5 WRX with PPP produces 266bhp at 5,700 rpm and 310lb-ft of torque at only 3,000 rpm – an increase of 74lb-ft at 600 rpm lower. The result is a 0-60 mph time reduced from 5.9 to 5.3 seconds and 0-100 time of 13.9 instead of 14.4 seconds.

Meanwhile, 30-50 mph in fourth gear comes down from 5.0 to 4.0 seconds with 30-50 mph in fifth in 4.7 instead of 6.6 seconds.

Forester 2.5 XT Manual PPP

The ’06 MY Forester 2.5 XT manual with PPP sees power up to 256bhp at 5,600 rpm with 300lb-ft at 3,000 rpm – an increase of 64lb-ft at 600 rpm lower. With PPP, the Forester 2.5 XT manual reaches 60 mph in 5.3 instead of 5.9 seconds and 100 mph in 13.9 as opposed to 16.0 seconds.

Prices

The latest Impreza 2.5 WRX starts at £20,945 OTR for the saloon with the Impreza 2.5 WRX five-door costing £21,445 OTR.

Topping the Impreza range, the saloon-only WRX STI Type-UK is priced at £27,040 OTR with the special-edition WRX STI spec.D listed at £28,540 OTR.

Meanwhile, the lowest-priced turbocharged Forester is the 2.5 XT which costs £22,040 OTR.

[mr fix it]

People must only buy these from the main dealler if they want the warrenty, as you an get new uk spec WRX cars for about £17 and then go to GGR or RCM and for a couple of grand get them moded to the same level, while saving yourself about £4k!

[iaint]

or 13/14k from one of the supermarkets...

[mybrainhurts]

My son did that.

Two problems...

Discovered after purchase that the warranty was insurance based, one year, maximum for each claim £1000. Due to the car coming in via Malta. It only comes with a factory warranty if sourced from another EU country.

Subaru UK don't want to know, they're very unhelpful. You can't even get a service record book from a UK dealer.

[anniesdad]

I'm looking at a 2.5 WRX from Motorpoint @ £14999. I've been told that the warranty is the balance of the manu's 3 year warranty which started when the car(s) were PDI'd in November 2005.

[eliminator]

I have the 06 STi and it is truely awesome.

Now.... about that Prodrive pack!

[snorky]

didn't VW get fined for this kind of unhelpful behaviour ? about time Subaru got some of the same....

[nickfrog]

No, VW got fined for anti-competitive practices in the 90 for intra EU dealer pressures but I think this would not apply to cars coming from outside the EU. i might be wrong though.