Subaru Impreza Review: Unique Engineering in a Refined Driving Car

Car manufacturers like to make a "halo car", a special version, usually faster and better equipped, to "outclass" a traditional model or range of models

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Nothing wrong with that, even though I always advise automakers to ignore what hacks advise them to do (see Jaguar S-type) because that will not stop them from sealing off at unveiling and for all production (see Jaguar S-type).

Usually, the halo car is supposed to sprinkle a little bit of star dust on the less glamorous models of the range. So, the surprisingly accomplished BMW M5 is supposed to make drivers in a BMW 530 believe that they are barely out of a four-door supercar (well, about £ 40,000). ).

There have been many more years. Some at random: Peugeot RCZ, Honda NSX, GTX GTX, Golf GTi, Renault 12 GT, Peugeot 205 GTi, Seat Leon Cupra, Kia Stinger, Rover 75 V8, MG Cooper, the Mini Cooper (old and new), the Maybach, Ford Fords, Talbots and Vauxhalls, Audi Quattro and the Abarth Fiat models. A bag / mixed garage, then. Sometimes, as with VW Group's Golf GTi and Quattro, you end up with a legendary sub-brand that gives glamor to any business (and even protection against the repetitive depredations of "dieselgate"). Almost all, curiously, have become instant classics.

No matter which road: Subaru. Now, this brand has benefited from a considerable halo effect with its long-standing Impreza WRX Sti model, one that has continued to win all rallies and which, if you've ever had the chance to get behind the wheel, you will agree was one of the most fun cars on the market. I think the "interceptors" of the Essex Police have used these machines for a while just to laugh and make criminals crave. Lucky Coppers.

The Impreza WRX enjoyed world stature, stonking performance and a distinctive vitality with its gold wheels, giant spoilers and azure paint. Whatever version of a halo, bigger and better, that was all.

Specifications

The problem for Subaru is that the halo eclipses, if that's the right expression, the rest of the Impreza range and many others Subaru. So, when I told people who were bothering to ask that I try a Subaru Impreza, their faces visibly crumpled when I added, peremptorily, that it was a "kitchen" version. They were even more discouraged when I told them that while Subaru was still making a WRX version of this latest generation of Impreza, this one is no longer imported to the UK (its extravagant shows being the hiccup ).

So, while successive generations of the Impreza WRX add a great sparkle to the Subaru badge, its disappearance lets people think that there's nothing left to consider . It's unfair. Every Impreza was good, you see, because every Impreza had a boxer engine and four-wheel drive, and always does, in a unique way.

That is why the Impreza had such an advantage in rally – the rather special engineering of Subaru. The company has long favored the boxer layout because, with more or less enthusiasm, have every taste of Porsche and Alfa – all sports names. In a "boxer", the pistons move like counter punches against each other, rather than up and down, hence the name.

The boxer's design is inherently lightweight, sleek and powerful, and being flat can sit lower under the hood than a more upright conventional engine. It also plugs directly into the transmission, rather than having to be mounted laterally, for example, which makes the most of its power (fewer components in the transmission mean less power lost on the tire path).

The Impreza also features an intelligent all-wheel drive system that suits all others, including Audi, with a 60-40 default power ratio in favor of the rear, but that varies according to the conditions of the road and the pilots.

The smoothness of the engine, especially in the 2.0-liter gasoline version of larger capacity (there is also a 1.6, but that's all, so no diesels) largely offsets the unsatisfactory constant speed automatic gearbox, which does not completely eliminate the usual problem with them, which is to put the foot down and wait for something, anyway, to happen. Even Subaru can not do a CVT as well as a more conventional torque converter.

Obviously, the grip is excellent and the car feels simply planted and manageable. All the power you need is there and, most of the time, will be delivered quickly. If you are in the country then all the better, the AWD system, although there is not much ground clearance.

The Impreza, then, is simply a great driver's car, so you can remember this concept, and adds to the integrity and reliability of traditional Japanese constructions. It's definitely a niche product, but there's nothing wrong with that.

Styling-wise it's as conservative as the oily bits are new, and it has something of the look of a contemporary Toyota or Lexus, including the rear light beams that extend beyond the waist. This could have something to do with Subaru's growing proximity to this giant, as Toyota takes a stake in Subaru's parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries.

The interior is perfectly acceptable, says Volvo or Peugeot. It also lacks an integrated navigation system, which I imagine because it is introduced in the UK by a trading group rather than by the company itself. Some graphics are also a bit dated.

The WRX version of the Impreza we miss, but these are the most enchanting family hatches that still exist and that still offer something different in the automotive ecosystem. It does not bother me to polish his halo.

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