Subaru unveils new Impreza sedan

Subaru Imprezas have been the bad boys of cardom. Sure they also come as a moderately behaved 2-liter non-turbo model. But it’s the arrogant swagger of the turbocharged bad boys, the 230-hp Impreza WRX and the even-badder 300-hp wide-body STi that’s getting all the attention.

The fact that the latest Imprezas came only as hot hatchbacks didn’t help their cause. You want a formal-looking ride? You get a sedan, of course.

Well, I’m not sure if Subaru wants to project a new “good boy” image, but at the highly successful Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) held at the World Trade Center in Manila last week, one of the most high-profile cars was an Impreza – but with a trunk!

“High-profile” is an understatement, because the Impreza sedan, aside from preening proudly from its display platform inside the Subaru corporate stand at the MIAS, also played a starring role at the Russ Swift stunt-driving show there where it spent a good deal of time burning rubber and letting the hundreds of spectators hear the scintillating growl from its 2.5-liter turbo flat-4 engine.

Viewed from the front, the new Impreza sedan looks virtually identical to the hatchback. In fact, both cars are absolutely identical from the front bumper all the way to the rear doors. It’s the rear quarter windows, the rear fenders and of course, the whole rear end and the roof that are different.

The quarter window aft of the rear door is now a smaller and more conventional shaped one. The crisp character line still continues all the way to the tail lamps, just like in the hatchbacks. The tail lamps, on the other hand are completely different from those in the hatchback, leading one to believe that the two cars are completely different Subaru models. The rear end with its vertical surfaces and large rear bumper with prominent reflectors actually look more like that of the Subaru Legacy sedan’s. The trademark Subaru Impreza visual sportiness is enhanced by a prominent trunk-mounted rear spoiler.  

So is the new Subaru sedan truly the Clark Kent version of the hot hatch? Hardly. The new Impreza-with-a-trunk comes in two flavors: hot and hotter. The hot version comes with the 2-liter 150-ps flat-4 motor used in the Impreza 2.0R hatchback. Locally, it’s available only with a 4-speed automatic transmission with Subaru’s manumatic Sportshift feature.

Needless to say, it comes with Subaru’s proven Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive, which gives it phenomenal traction and handling, aided and abetted by sport-tuned McPherson front struts and rear double wishbones.

Performance is always high on any Subaru model’s credentials, and braking performance is definitely included. The normally aspirated Impreza sedan boasts 4-wheel disc brakes, ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist.

Other features and amenities are a leather steering wheel with audio control switches, a leather gearshift knob, a premium 6-CD in-dash audio system with no less than ten speakers, computerized digital information display, sporty front bucket seats, high-intensity discharge xenon headlamps, front and rear fog lamps, 17-inch alloy wheels and high-performance low-profile tires, front/side/curtain airbags, and an engine-immobilizing keyless security system.

This is one heavily spec’d out sedan – and one that gives excellent value for money with its P1.148 million sticker price. (It’s 10 grand less than its equivalent hatchback model.)

And the hotter version? Well, it’s none other than the WRX version that’s much loved and missed by “RX” fans who have been used to turbocharged Imprezas with trunk lids. 

Like the WRX hot hatch, the WRX sedan gets a super-smooth 2.5-liter 230-ps (with 190 NM of torque at 3200 rpm) turbo-intercooled powerplant mated to a crisp-shifting 5-speed stickshift. It has all of the Impreza 2.0R’s many features but adds an electronic Hill Start Assist that makes sure you don’t lose your poise by stalling the engine when you start off from a standstill in 1st gear.

The price of a turbo Impreza-with-a-trunk is P1.698 million – P30,000 less than the WRX hatchback.    

Two new Subaru models for Subie traditionalists and those who want a more conventional-looking-but-nonetheless-rapid ride. It can’t get any better for the legions of Impreza fans out there.