Subaru Impreza News

The company’s general manager of overseas sales and marketing, Mitsuro Takada, apologises for the delay. “We would like to express our gratitude at offers of assistance from Australia,” he said.“It is a key market for Subaru and the delay in the 2012 Impreza is disappointing.”When it does arrive the Impreza promises more space from the same footprint.The 2012 models now rides on a bigger wheelbase but the overall dimensions are virtually unchanged from the previous cars.The growth in wheelbase has added 50mm to rear seat legroom, along with more space for hips and shoulders, and let the engineers fit bigger doors front and rear to improve getting in and out of the cars.The bigger interiors are wrapped in new soft-touch plastics and a central infotainment systems handles the in-car controls. The 2-litre boxer engine produces 110kW/196Nm and is matched to a continuously variable transmission or six-speed manual. The side mirrors have been moved from the A-pillars to the doors and are nearly 25 per cent bigger.The sedan’s boot arms are now repositioned within the boot interior trim to stop them hitting items when the boot is fully loaded.The final Australian specs have yet to be set, but the US entry level model has power windows, door locks and side mirrors, a 60/40-split/fold rear seat, outside temperature gauge, a multi-function display with fuel economy information, remote keyless entry, security system with engine immobilizer, tilt/telescopic steering wheel, variable intermittent windscreen wipers and a low windscreen washer fluid warning light.Stepping up the range adds alloy wheels, steering wheel-mounted audio and Bluetooth controls and connections for iPods, USB sticks and a 3.5mm audio jack.Subaru expects the 2012 models to be more fuel efficient than the current car but it is yet to undergo ADR fuel consumption testing.

China is clearly on top of the car world in 2011.

The car in showrooms today will only have a four-year lifespan - the shortest yet for a mainstream Subaru model - as the Japanese company accelerates an all-new small-car plan.It has the new Impreza sedan and hatch previewed today at the New York motor show, will develop new WRX and STI performance cars in a separate stream, and is likely to turn the XV concept from this week's Shanghai Motor Show into a compact crossover to sit below the Forester.The latest Impreza twins - with much improved quality and a cabin to rival the previous-generation Liberty - will hit Australia later this year, although the exact timing is unclear following the Japanese earthquake disaster.The new small-car approach is outlined to Carsguide today at the New York motor show by the president of Subaru, Ikuo Mori, standing alongside the all-new Impreza."We separated the character of the Impreza and the WRX. We have no plan to make a WRX on this new car," Mori says."In the past the Impreza models were in combination with the WRX and STI. Now we completely separate the products."He refuses to give any timing for the standalone WRX and STI, although the cars are likely to run less than 18 months behind the Impreza, with a production version of the XV Concept after that.Mori believes the split strategy is the right way to build the Subaru brand, as it moves away from its previous minicar lineup to focus on the Impreza and Liberty families.It's a similar approach to BMW, which is becoming the world's biggest niche carmaker, and Audi, which is exploding its lineup with spin-off body styles and engine combinations."Now we focus our development, so we have some resources to bring to the Impreza," says Mori."The Impreza is a new, bigger, eco-friendly car. The STI is different."

Both the sedan and hatchback will feature new designs, with the teaser shot above showing subtle design cues from the current-generation Liberty. Subaru has only released the above teaser shot ahead of the April 21 unveiling.Continuing to offer all-wheel-drive standard across the range, the Impreza is expected to have a larger cabin, with improvements in interior design and refinement.“We are very excited about the amazing stylish new Impreza” said Nick Senior, Managing Director at Subaru Australia . “It will not only broaden Subaru’s appeal significantly, but offer a new level of interior quality, technology and the safety for which we’re famed.”.Details for the Australian release of the new Impreza have yet to be announced.

CRAIG Lowndes leads a surprising Audi attack on the Bathurst 12-Hour race over easter with a pair of race-prepared R8 coupes. Rule changes for the endurance event at Mount Panorama have opened the event to sports cars and Audi has a pair of R8s coming from Europe - V8 Supercar racer Warren Luff will share with Lowndes - to take on the Porsche 911s that are expected to fight for victory.THE struggling Australian Rally Championship is headed for a revamp and improvement to its relevance under new chairman Scott Pedder. The retired driver intends to make the series more appealing to carmakers from 2011 and move it away from the reliance on the Subaru WRX and Mitsubishi Evo contenders that dominate entry lists.THE full-scale renewal of the V8 Supercars field will take place in 2013 when the category's Car of the Future will become compulsory. There was talked of an optional phase-in for the change in 2012 but V8 Supercars bosses now say the transitional year has been dumped in favour of a single switch at the start of 2013.CITROEN stalwart Dani Sordo, who was superstar Sebastian Loeb's sidekick for five years at Citroen, is moving to Mini for this year's World Rally Championship. Mini is only planning a limited program against Ford and Citroen before a full-scale season in 2011, but has signed Sordo the Spaniard as lead driver alongside Chris Meeke of the UK.FORMER champion Chad Reed made a tentative return to AMA Supercross racing in the USA last weekend riding a Honda for his own team for the first time. The Aussie was fifth at Anaheim Stadium in Los Angeles as Ryan Villopoto won on the Monster Kawasaki he used to ride.

While Toyota's future FT-86 coupe has been grabbing the news - and motor show stands - around the world since last year, the Subaru version has been kept away from cameras.  Now it's in the open. The Subaru coupe will share the drivetrain with the Toyota but go its own way with body styling and cabin flair. Toyota says its two-door sports car - the first since the demise of the MR2 in 2007 - will go on sale in 2012 but the Subaru may not arrive until 2013.  Both cars use a rear-drive platform and front-mounted Subaru boxer engine driving a six-speed manual transmission. An all-wheel drive model was proposed by Subaru but has been dropped because of weight and cost issues.  Though a 2-litre third-generation normally-aspirated (NA) Subaru engine has been fingered as the likely engine, it may be replaced with the punchier 2.5-litre unit. As a sports car, the 2-litre's 109kW/196Nm output is down on some rivals. It compares, for example, with other NA 2-litre cars such as the Honda Civic Type-R's 148kW/193Nm and Mazda MX-5's 118kW/188Nm. The design and price of the Toyota-Subaru coupes may also put it up against turbocharged rivals including the Mini Cooper S, Peugeot RCZ, Citroen DS3, Renault Megane Sport and Volkswagen Polo and Golf GTIs. News from Japan indicates Toyota - which owns 16.7 per cent of Subaru parent Fuji Heavy Industries - has taken control of engine development and is looking at about 147kW (200hp) without any charging.  Subaru, on the other hand, may option its coupe with the WRX 2.5-litre turbo for 195kW/343Nm or the STI's enticing 221kW/407Nm. That may be enough sting to overcome weight issues and allow the coupe through as an all-wheel drive, pleasing Subaru Australia that has invested heavily in the "All4", exclusive all-wheel drive model range.  Impressive though an AWD coupe would be, it contrast initial plans. In April 2008, Toyota (TMC) and Subaru (FHI) announced the proposed jointly-developed coupe in a statement that says they would "jointly develop a compact rear-wheel-drive sports car that will be marketed by both TMC and FHI." "The compact rear-wheel sports car to be jointly developed by TMC and FHI is envisioned to offer a new `fun to drive' experience based on an all-new vehicle platform powered by an FHI core-technology horizontally-opposed engine. "Production is to take place at a new plant to be built at FHI's Gunma Manufacturing Division in Japan's Gunma Prefecture. TMC will consign production to FHI."

Most people expected Subaru's concept car unveiling on the opening morning to be its early reveal of the Subota coupe it is jointly developing with Toyota, which has already shown its thinking with the FT-86.Instead, the wraps come off a four-door sedan that Subaru says is the pointer to the future of its mainstream sedan cars.  That means the Impreza.Subaru has done some darn ugly concepts in the past and there are plenty of shoppers who are polarized by the American-centric design of the latest chunky Forester and Outback.But the Impreza Design Concept is surprisingly elegant, combining a sporty intent that looks much more inviting than today's blandoid Impreza. The good work starts at the chunk nose - complete with the latest interpretation of a corporate grille - and runs back through the trend wheel arch blisters to a chunky butt.The Impreza Concept is claimed as a runner, too, with Subaru's signature 2.0-litre boxer engine in the nose, a constantly-variable transmission and its signature all-wheel drive.Inside, there is a large touch-screen control panel and the technology tweak in the car is an anti-collision system linked to an EyeSight vision camera on the roof.

It's a test mule for the upcoming Subaru version of the shared FT-86 sports car being developed by Toyota. The outrageous body bits are supposed to disguise the car underneath, but instead - particularly because of the rear wing - they point directly to the Subaru connection. It's some of the most bizarre camouflage to hit the road in recent years but there is already a change from earlier test cars - a bonnet with a major bump. This could point to a top-mounted intercooler, something common on turbocharged Subaru engines, but there are also signs of a front-mounted cooler in the test car. So the bump points to this being a Subaru mechanical test car running the engine and transmission from the Impreza STi. Carparazzi sources say the FT-86 project uses a modified Subaru Liberty chassis with some Impreza parts, but with rear-wheel drive only.  It has two-plus-two seating in the cabin and fully-independent suspension. Some sources say the car will be ready by the end of 2011, at least as a Toyota, but there are also rumours it will not be ready for the road unit the back end of 2012. Even so, there is every chance of FT-86 appearances on the international motor show circuit, wearing both Toyota and Subaru badges, next year.

It's the month when the master blaster of the current lineup, the wide- body STi sedan complete with rally-style giant rear wing, hits Australia.  The STi sedan dominated sales of the go-faster Subaru Impreza models through its previous run in Australia, then went missing when Japan decided on a hatch-only sales policy for the current car.But the USA went its own way, demanding a sedan, and it's now the building block for the upcoming local hero.  "It's set for September. It could even be late August, which would mean some hot August nights," says Nick Senior, managing director of Subaru Australia.He says the STi sedan will have everything from the pumped-out guards of the latest 'wide body' WRX to a competition-style rear wing and bigger alloy wheels and brakes.  "It's more aggressive, it has the big wing," Senior says.  He is expecting a big boost to WRX sales when the STi hits, partly because of the car and partly as customers return to Subaru showrooms after the global financial crisis."We're probably selling 10-15 cars a month and we hope to lift that to around 50 when we launch the STi sedan. That market has been the one that's been most impacted by the GFC. It's more of a discretionary spend than any other model we have."Senior says the regular WRX now also comes with a sedan body, a move is already giving a boost to sales. "We're selling two sedans for every hatch. That's consistent with WRX since we first launched it. For many years it was 90 per cent sedan in Australia."Over time we would expect 70-80 per cent of WRX sales will be sedans.  Globally, hot hatches are the thing in Europe but in Australia it's exactly the other way around. We're rather unique in that."

Its adventurous nature is signalled by cues like the black wheel arch mouldings, roof rails and taller ground clearance – 30mm higher than the standard Imprezas.It also gets a revised grille, rear spoiler, 16-in alloy wheels, exhaust cover and sports bucket seats with ‘mocha accents to distinguish it from other variants’ – and possibly also because it’s a great colour to disguise when you’ve brought some of that adventurous outdoors back into the cabin.  The fit-out includes Bluetooth, iPod-compatible 10-speaker audio system and leather trim to steering wheel, handbrake and gearstick.Priced from $27,490 – with a $2000 premium to add a four-speed automatic transmission – the XV is powered by the 2.0-litre boxer engine carried by the Impreza R, RX and RS, mated to a five-speed manual with Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive.The XV is designed to “carry on the spirit of the previous Sportswagon and RV, but with some youthful styling cues that we are confident will add a new dimension to our small car range,” says Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior.He says the carmaker expects the newcomer to add 100 sales per month to Impreza’s tally.