Subaru Impreza 2011 Review

BIG fuel savings, neater looks and more pep and space should give Subaru's all-new Impreza the goods to get the brand back into top gear when it goes on sale early next year.

The car retains many of the previous models lines, minus the ugly bulgy bits. Its a smoother, more attractive design that's also more aerodynamic, especially around the headlights. Also, there's no exhaust pipe poking out of the rear end of the hatch or the XV. Only the sedan has an external pipe.

LINE-UP

The first demo models should be in showrooms in January. Prices should stay within cooee of the outgoing models, which retail from a start of $23,500. There are three Imprezas: the base 2.0i, mid-range 2.0i-L and the fully-featured Impreza 2.0i-S, in hatch and sedan. The XV has a similar pecking order.

DESIGN

The Impreza, now in its fourth generation, is still the same length, but the wheelbase has grown 25mm and that has allowed the interior designers to give it an extra 40 litres of boot space and a lot more leg and foot room in the back.

The windscreen has been moved forward, the front door windows now feature quarter panes and, hooray, the A-pillars are much thinner than those in a lot of other modern cars, allowing far better forward vision. The doors open wider and entry and exit are much improved. All models get automatic aircon, seven airbags and Vehicle Dynamics Control, cruise control, Bluetooth, USB and aux ports.

The base model runs on steel wheels. The L gets 16-inch alloys, a console colour multi-function display, reversing camera, dual-zone climate control, steering wheel audio controls, sunroof, rear privacy glass and front foglights and the premium jobbie throws in HID xenon headlights, leather, powered drivers seat and sports pedals.

TECHNOLOGY

The 2.0-litre boxer engine still produces the same 110kW/196Nm power and torque as before, but it's an entirely new design that is lighter and uses components and gadgetry to give both the car and SUV a 20 per cent fuel consumption cut.

The motor switches off at the lights, starts up again in a fraction of a second when it's time to go.The new transmissions are a six-speed manual or a CVT, the latter with paddle-shift. The suspension has also been given a bit of a tweak for more comfort.

Fuel stats are 7.1 litres/100km for the manual and 6.8 for the CVT, compared to the current five-speed manual's 8.9 and the four-speed auto's 8.8. Performance is up too, by nearly a second to 100km/h, although 10.7seconds is far from exciting. Fans of the WRX and STi models will have to wait years for updates. The hotties are no longer in the Impreza range, but stand-alone models.

DRIVING

We got to drive manual and CVT Imprezas and a CVT XV at Subaru's test facility a couple of hours out of Tokyo, where the brand's all-wheel drive gave it cat-on-carpet grip on the tight varied terrain circuit and at higher speeds on the banked track.

Good steering and brakes add to the confidence the car instils. Comfort levels have aso been improved, especially in the quieter cabin.

VERDICT

The new Imprezas are a class act, well screwed together, strong, and now with a new level of engineering efficiency.

SUBARU IMPREZA

On sale: February
Prices: from about $22,000
Warranty: 3yrs/iunlimited km
Service: 12,500km, biannual
Engine: 2.0L, 4-cylinder boxer, 110kW/196Nm
Transmissions: 6-speed manual, CVT
Ecomomy: 6.9L/100km to 7.3L/100km
Safety: 7 airbags, stability control, ABS.