2017 Subaru Impreza (5th Generation)

New Subaru Impreza 4WD hatch brings back RS range-topper

Not-for-UK Mk6 Impreza is redesigned, re-engineered, and brings a 2.5-litre boxer option

The Subaru Impreza has returned for a sixth generation to rival the Volkswagen Golf and Honda Civic with a purposeful new look and the option of a warmed-up RS range-topper.

Making its global debut at this year's LA motor show, the reborn Impreza brings significant technological and dynamic improvements over its predecessor - and drops the long-running saloon variant.

It will land in US dealerships in spring 2023 to provide a lower-slung alternative to the closely related Subaru XV crossover, and has been revealed exactly 30 years after the first Impreza took to the Los Angeles show stage, as what Subaru calls the first mass-produced compact car with four-wheel drive.

The redesigned Mk6 Impreza is a more dynamically focused proposition than its forebear, based around the latest version of Subaru's Global Platform, which is claimed to boost stiffness by 10% and reduce weight for an "improved dynamic performance, smoother ride and quieter cabin".

True to form, it comes exclusively with two driven axles, with revisions to the company's trademark Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system claiming to improve response time and cornering agility. Active torque vectoring is a standard feature.

Subaru also highlights a standard-fit dual-pinion steering rack which has been lifted from the rally-honed WRX to boost steering feel.

www.autocar.co.uk

New Subaru Impreza 4WD hatch brings back RS range-topper | Autocar

Not-for-UK Mk6 Impreza is redesigned, re-engineered, and brings a 2.5-litre boxer option
www.autocar.co.uk www.autocar.co.uk
 
Sixth-generation Subaru Impreza revealed, and it’s no longer a sedan

Subaru has lifted the lid on the sixth-generation Impreza and unlike the first five iterations, the Corolla-rivalling compact model is no longer available in sedan guise.

Whereas the previous model was offered in hatch and sedan formats, the new range only gets a five-door option.

Like the Sportwagon model that was available in the first generation of the 1990s, the new Subaru Impreza appears to blur the lines between hatchback and wagon, although technically it’s a hatch with a longer rear overhang.

The new-generation model adopts some of the edgier styling cues that we’ve already seen in the latest Subaru WRX and XV models, the with the latter being quite closely related to the new Impreza.

Revealed at the Los Angeles Auto show this week, the new Subaru Impreza will go on sale in the US in early 2023, before being rolled out to other world markets.

While most versions of the new model will be powered by a 2.0-litre normally aspirated direct injection Boxer engine, worth 113kW and 196Nm, Subaru is also introducing an RS variant that gains a 2.5-litre normally aspirated engine, good for 136kW and 241Nm. The flagship model also receives 18-inch alloy wheels and unique exterior and interior design features.

This new generation Subaru Impreza also marks the end of the road for manual transmissions in this model as the newcomer is only available with the company’s CVT transmission. Thankfully the top variants do at least offer an eight-speed manual simulation mode linked to paddle shifters.

 
Americans: the new Subaru Impreza is hatchback and auto-only

Subaru drops the saloon and manual gearboxes for this sixth-gen Impreza

Even though we no longer get the Subaru Impreza here in the UK, it’s still a little sad to see what it has become. This is the all-new sixth-generation for the US market, revealed recently at the LA Auto Show, and the headlines don’t make for pretty reading.

Not only has Subaru dropped the saloon (sorry, sedan) option, but it’s also removed all manual gearboxes, leaving the boxer engines to deal with CVT gearboxes. Oh dear.

Said engines are a 2.0-litre unit with 150bhp in Base and Sport trims, while the range-topping RS makes a return with a 2.5-litre unit. Sounds sporty, but then you learn that it only makes 180bhp and 178lb ft of torque.

As is tradition, all models do still get all-wheel drive, with the system supposedly now reacting faster and offering ‘more agile handling’. Active torque vectoring is also standard, and we’re told the chassis itself is lighter and 10 per cent stiffer.

www.topgear.com

Americans: the new Subaru Impreza is hatchback and auto-only

Subaru drops the saloon and manual gearboxes for this sixth-gen Impreza
www.topgear.com www.topgear.com
 
The 2024 Subaru Impreza Makes Me Wish For a WRX Hatchback

Subaru buyers want practicality, capability, and sportiness. With the all-new Impreza, they’ll get two and a half out of three.

Final Thoughts

And that’s where the questions start to arise. The five-door Impreza has a great chassis and competent-enough suspension, let down by a drivetrain package that doesn’t have much interest in fun. Subaru wants this car to appeal to performance-minded buyers, people who intentionally eschew the more all-terrain-capable Crosstrek for a better driving experience, but the company still won’t give it a performance-oriented engine and transmission.

The Impreza hatchback, then, is a tease. It shows off the capability of the car’s newly-stiffened chassis, but makes you dream of a vehicle you just can’t buy. There’s a perfect all-around car hidden within Subaru’s lineup, an unbeatable mix of enjoyment and practicality, but its parts are split between two different product lines.

The Impreza is a comfortable daily driver, a more than competent way to get the kids and the dog from A to B. But that B can’t be somewhere you’d need a Crosstrek’s ground clearance to access, and the route can’t be so fun that you’d want a WRX for the journey. The Impreza meets all the needs for Subaru’s buyers — but the wants are lacking.

jalopnik.com

The 2024 Subaru Impreza Makes Me Wish For a WRX Hatchback

Subaru buyers want practicality, capability, and sportiness. With the all-new Impreza, they’ll get two and a half out of three.
jalopnik.com jalopnik.com
 
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