subaru impreza concept 01
Todd Hallenbeck25 Nov 2015
NEWS

All change for new Subaru Impreza

Freer supplies of Subaru's next Impreza should spell better value

Subaru has now given us a revealing overall look at its next-generation Impreza small car following world debuts of the hatch concept in Tokyo last month and, just three weeks later, the sedan concept in Los Angeles.

Nearly identical below the glasshouse, the stylish four- and five-door concepts you see here should by now have been signed off internally and are genuine to production reality.

The all-new Impreza is scheduled for production from late 2016 in Japan, where Australian vehicles will continue to be produced, but as we've reported remains at least two years away from local showrooms; it's due here in the second half of 2017.

For the first time, however, the next Impreza will also be built at Subaru of America’s plant in Indiana as the company pushes for volume gains by increasing sales in its biggest market. Subaru of America expects to top 575,000 sales this year and claims it will beat 600,000 in 2016. Much of that volume will be Impreza.

Production in Indiana is good news for Australians, because it will ease global supply restraints by satisfying the North American market, which should allow Subaru Australia to get more aggressive on pricing and specification.

The next Impreza will be the first model to ride on Subaru’s new modular platform that will eventually underpin the car-maker's entire model range, from Impreza to a future large seven-seat people-mover.

The move to a single scalable platform for the Impreza should also reduce production and development costs – an important factor for a small global manufacturer like Subaru – and allow Subaru to offer a modular hybrid powertrain across its range, including the new Impreza.

The sedan concept carries a sleeker roofline and profile than the hatch. Both design concepts were shaped at Subaru’s studio in Hiroshima under the direction of design director Mamoru Ishii.

He was responsible for the dramatic WRX concept revealed in New York in 2013, and we’re excited to see Ishii has not calmed and softened the aggressive design direction, with Ishii’s later Impreza design featuring a sharp hipline in favour of the larger fender flares that dominated the WRX concept.

The hatch and sedan Impreza concepts don’t share dimensions. The sedan at 4554mm is longer by 154mm, but both concepts carry a 2670mm wheelbase -- just 26mm longer than current Impreza.

Sources say the 2017 Impreza will be a little lower and only about 40mm wider than the current Impreza.

Ishii’s design direction is a welcome improvement from previous Impreza generations and Ishii admits “Design is now important in our company’s situation.”

We’re starting to see exciting consistency and unity in Subaru design, as evidenced by the sharp ‘C’ headlight and tail-light graphic for that Impreza, first revealed two years ago on the WRX concept.

“We did research with American customers about current Impreza. They told us that safety design is OK and trust design is OK. But they tell us design is not sporty. And design is not exciting,” said Ishii.

“The dynamic performance needs dynamic design -- exciting and emotional. This is very important.

“We create emotional and exciting feel by form and lines,” he said, referring to descriptors like symmetrical, balance, stability and talking in historical context about Subaru’s origins in aeroplane design and production.

“In design of the new Impreza, I wanted to create a much stronger face and brand identity,” he said.

“A lot of brands are using a hexagonal grille – Ford, Audi, Hyundai, Peugeot – but we need a good reason to use. The six points of the hexagonal grille symbolises the coming together of five companies to create Subaru, and it is a very stable, symmetrical shape.

“The hipline reflects our aerodynamic heritage and C-shape headlamp reflects the horizontal opposed pistons of our boxer engine,” he explained.

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Written byTodd Hallenbeck
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