Subaru Impreza 1.6i-S 4D Review: Imprezzing a New Generation

What we like:

The Impreza’s new progressive design

excellent handling

and spacious head and leg room. Convenient features like push-start and keyless entry.

What we dislike:

The noisy CVT gearbox and the widespread use of hard plastics on the dashboard.

But looking good and driving well isn’t all there is to the new Impreza. It may be a base model in the Subaru line-up, but the Impreza 1.6i Sport comes tricked out with standard equipment every driver would appreciate.

Keyless entry, with a push-start button for the engine will appeal to many, as does the steering mounted controls that work both Bluetooth hands-free, audio system and cruise control. And to top that up, the steering feel is wrapped in leather for a nice sporty touch that many a Toyota sedan cannot match up to.

The car’s interior though is built to a price, with hard plastics fitted on the dashboard and around the gear stick. But at least Subaru isn’t pretentious about the Impreza, it is what it is—an entry level sedan in the Subaru range.

But while there is nothing special in the car’s utilitarian dashboard design and construction, the Impreza comes equipped with leather upholstery for its seats and copious amounts of headroom in front and at the back, areas of consideration for the average buyer. Leg room is also in abundance thanks to its 2,645mm wheelbase. 460 litres of space in the boot would also be more than enough for any shopping trip.

Even in the face of steadily climbing COEs, Motor Image has managed to keep prices competitive for the Impreza. Its updated progressive good looks is complimented by solid engineering and boosted by a simple but practical interior design. Factor in features like push-start, keyless entry and steering mounted controls and the Impreza’s $123,800 (with COE) price tag makes it an excellent value buy in the current market.

Credits: Text and Photos: Jonathan Tan