2017 Subaru Impreza vs 2018

What's the difference?

Subaru's new Impreza is one of a rash of newcomers in the small car space to drop in the last twelve months. Interestingly, it's one of a trio to land on all-new platforms - the other two being the Honda Civic and Hyundai i30/Elantra pair.

For once, the Impreza bears more than a passing resemblance to the concept car with which the styling was introduced and the new platform meant that the new Subaru might just attract non rusted-on buyers to have a good hard look.

When Subaru said its new Impreza would lay “the foundation for our future”, it sounded a lot like the usual marketing hype that accompanies the launch of any new car, even the ones destined to sink faster than Jack Dawson once they eventually go on sale. 

But the words seemed particularly hollow in this case. After all, how could the Impreza small hatch or sedan be a foundation for a future we already know will be soaked in SUVs of all shapes and sizes?

That was 12 months ago now, and a quick peek at the sales figures since show that it was anything but hype. While most manufacturers are riding the SUV wave to sales success, the Impreza is comprehensively bucking that trend, and is on track to finish 2017 as Subaru’s equal-first best seller, along with the brand’s Forester.

Clearly there’s something going on with this fifth-generation, new-platformed Impreza. So we climbed behind the wheel of the top-spec 2.0i-S sedan for a week to find out what it is.