Subaru Impreza 2.0 Range Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Subaru Impreza 2.0
Prices: £15,495-£17,995 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 7-8
Emissions: 194g/km
Performance: 0-60mph 9.6s / Max Speed 113mph
Fuel Consumption: (combined) 33.6mpg
Safety: Twin front, side and curtain airbags, ESP stability control, ABS
Dimensions: length/width/height 4415/1740/1475mm

TAKING THE SUBWAY

Our Rating: 7.0 / 10

The Impreza was once the definition of ‘boy racer’. Now, with a more conventional five-door bodystyle, can it successfully morph into a family hatchback ordinary people might buy? Jon Elliott looks at the strangely discreet Impreza 2.0-litre

In these days of evolutionary car development, it’s rare to find car manufacturers ripping up a successful design and starting again. Subaru though have done exactly that, turning their Impreza into what looks like a relatively subdued and sensible five door family hatchback. But appearances can be deceptive, especially in this pacey 2.0-litre model….

Back in the early Nineties, the Impreza burst onto the scene, as the late Colin McCrae won the rally world championships in a vehicle that until that point was considered only worthy of farmyards.  Almost single-handedly, McCrae catapulted Subaru into another league; the Impreza took over the mantle left by the likes of the Sierra Cosworth, harnessing awesome power, four seats, and a proper boot.

This Subaru then went from strength to strength, its reliability and power equally effective in growing its credibility in the market place. Suddenly this Japanese marque was no longer seen as a manufacturer of farmyard vehicles. Now, it seemed, they made solid family cars, with a real sporty edge. Over time of course, the Impreza’s design changed slightly but the engine and four wheel drive set-up remained basically the same. That is, until the launch of this latest generation version.

The 2.0-litre Impreza we’re looking at here is for the first time a conventionally-shaped hatchback. This is the first and most obvious fact and something indicative of the seriousness of Subaru’s attempt to break into Focus and Golf territory. The car is still built around the famed horizontally opposed boxer engine though, giving this car a subtle burble on idle, suggesting some of the former model’s character may have been kept on it’s replacement. 

It seems cars with genuine character are few and far between. The current Impreza has arrived on a mission to reverse this trend and in 2.0-litre petrol form as tested here, it seems to stack up – on paper at least. Sixty takes 9.6s on the way to 113mph. On the move, the engine has a warming grumbling sound which manages to entertain on even long journeys. Similarly genuine character can be found when it comes to the handling reserves on offer. There’s some real enjoyment to be had as you dash from bend to bend and the car sticks to the road, helped immeasurably by Subaru’s peerless expertise in creating four-wheel-drive systems. The 2.0R model I tried corners superbly, taking bends flat, rather than wallowing helplessly, but this isn’t to say there’s an overly sporty and uncomfortable ride. Somehow, Subaru’s engineers have managed to retain enough genuine comfort to please those more concerned about comfort than performance.

By utilising a flat four engine, the design team have been able to mount the engine lower in the car, lowering the vehicle’s centre of gravity. Marry this to a four wheel drive system and you have the recipe for peerless road manners. The steering is precise, and being a hatchback, all round visibility is excellent. Overall, there are few obvious faults to be found when driving this car. The Impreza may have changed shape, but at the same time, it’s become far more refined and seemingly a credible family hatchback option.

Interiors have never been a strong point of Subaru, and once again it’s a fair bet the Impreza won’t be winning any awards in this area. However there is an improvement. Plastics have improved and the finish is a little better than that of the previous generations: significantly there wasn’t a rattle to be heard in the model I drove. Sadly, I didn’t feel that the latest exterior styling was much to write home about – but I guess that’s a matter of personal taste.

The dashboard is functional if not dynamic, with the storage