New Subaru Impreza Photos Get Released! Fans More Appeased

While the hatchback still bears pretty much the same lines and curves as the images from Motor Trend, the saloon version looks much more promising. It still bears the WRX’s familiar gaping intercooler air intake, but despite its sharper edges, it still comes off as a little “friendlier” with its gaping front end smiley face. Also, running along its sides is the contemporary slightly-flared arches just below its windows, creating a sportier stance with a tad bit of aggression, and gone are its horizontal tall-fenders.

While multi-spoke rims are still in place, there hasn’t been any sign yet of those whacky, enticing colour combinations. Fortunately, the rather unobtrusive rear spoiler remains to help add some spice, and more importantly, give it a more complete overall profile – the way a WRX should hold its stance.

Where safety is concerned, you can be pretty confident that Subaru will have its Impreza obtain some pretty decent scores when it hits the wall… during the Euro NCAP test, of course. They haven’t gone that wacky yet.

It will also feature the Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) to help with traction, ABS as standard and, except for the WRX performance seats, active front head-restraints to help prevent whiplash in the event of a collision. You’ll also be getting weighing scales under your seats, so how much last night’s gorging has affected you will be made known to the computer, which will then decide whether you are eight or eighteen, and how hard its airbag should hit you in the face.

As for its interior, it won’t shock you as much as the hatchback did, but it wouldn’t be making your knees go weak either. Updated with a little bit of brushed-aluminium here, some double-stitched fabric there, and two inches more shoulder-room and off you go.

Power from the current 2.5 litre boxer-4 engine will be improved, given a new intake port and a re-designed cat system. It will also provide more torque at its lower end while offering better fuel economy. The naturally-aspirated block will be serving up 170bhp @ 6,000rpm and 230Nm @ 4,000rpm.

Its hungrier WRX brother will bet a new intercooler, turbo and intake manifold, giving it more torque – 306Nm @ 2,800rpm and 224bhp @ 5,200rpm. Fortunately, weight is down by almost 23kg, thus one can expect slightly better performance. Little news has surfaced, however, about the big brother STI, which is expected to appear in the market only in 2008.

Expect handling to be improved too, thanks to lower positioning of its boxer-4s, a new and stiffer chassis which utilizes some interesting components to aid rigidity while reducing weight. Keeping the back up in place will be its all-new double-wishbone suspension, thus freeing up more boot space, while the gripping action will be the role of 205/50R17 Bridgestone RE92A rubbers.

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[B]Photo credits go to Subaru of America Inc.[/B]

Credits: Kr0n