Subaru Impreza 1.5R 5Dr, Subaru Impreza 2.0 S-GT, Subaru Impreza WRX 2.5 5Dr Review
Winds of Change

Text and Photos by Amery Reuben. Artistic Portraiture by Khong Shaohao
19 Oct 2007

Anticipating the test drive of the new, cult-like WRX would be akin to waiting for that sweet, sweet moment when Angelina Jolie decides to make moves on you. In your dreams, unfortunately...

Many, many things have been done to the new Impreza range. All in the name of sales. This is alarming, because when the Japanese tell you that, you know that many of those “things” do not include making the car faster, and not to mention, a more sporty drive.

Upmarket Affectations

First, the good news. Subaru has abandoned the terrible pig snout of the 2006 model lineup of Imprezas. Good news indeed. The thing is, well the new one isn’t exactly a stunner either.

Boy racers, say goodbye to the old WRX that you have come to know and love. That giant hoop scoop has been reduced in size, and has been moved forward about 15cm in order to work with the intercooler.

In line with Subaru’s big plan of change, the Impreza has morphed into a smooth, round and fluid form, complete with nonchalant looking headlamps and a boring grille that suggests Subaru has lost it’s way in an attempt to incorporate heritage and future in the current one.

The rear end is a whole different story however. We love the rather sophisticated, angular and pleasing C pillar, all the way to the tailgate.

You’ll also be surprised to know that the new model weighs almost the same as the old one despite being 43.2mm shorter, 43.2mm wider, 12.7mm taller. As expected, interior space has been maximized like what everyone else is doing. It sits on a wheelbase that's nearly 101.6mm longer.

We immediately took a shining to the new car’s driving position. The driver is seated lower, by more than 25mm. This automatically translated into a much better driving position than that of the old Impreza.

There is more legroom at the back and certainly truckloads of storage in the boot.

Despite the rather bland choice of interior colours used, the materials throughout the new WRX's interior are notably better, not to mention the design of the dashboard which has been brought in line with that of the the Tribeca.

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