Test drive Subaru Impreza 2018: a safe bet

Antonio Roncero @roncero_antonio 18 April 2018 10 min.

Test drive Subaru Impreza 2018: a safe bet

The new Subaru Impreza 2018 offers an alternative that stands out among compact cars for its favourable balance between what you pay and what you get in return, provided you are not looking for a car with sporty feel or performance.

If you are one of those who still associates Subaru Impreza with the blue and yellow colours – with that unmistakable “555” on the bonnet – of the car that Colin McRae drove to the top of the World Rally Championship in the mid-90s, and with which many of my generation spent so many hours on the PlayStation that, had we dedicated them to studying languages, we would now be able to speak Chinese, you can start changing your register.

Subaru left the World Rally Championship in 2008, and the fourth generation of the Subaru Impreza, which was sold from 2011 to 2016 – although it never reached Spain – already marked a radical shift in target audience. The brand’s executives say they went out onto the street to ask customers in order to study what the market demanded. And now, after more than 3.5 million Subaru Impreza sold worldwide (of which 250,000 in Europe and 5,500 in Spain), the fifth generation of the Japanese compact arrives, which was launched on the domestic market in 2016, enhancing the two main qualities of its predecessor: safety and reliability.

There is no other compact on the market with all-wheel drive, automatic gearbox and the Impreza’s level of equipment at this price: from 20,400 euros

At present, 96 percent of Subaru cars are still on the road after more than 10 years. In fact, the Impreza is recognised as the most durable vehicle on the American market. And that is why, in addition to its safety, the Subaru Impreza wants to remain recognised and valued, having left behind any sporting connotations associated with competition.

Design and size of the Subaru Impreza: compact format

Perhaps this is the reason why the new Subaru Impreza is not an especially eye-catching car; one might even say it is rather discreet. The prominent spoilers, the widened wheel arches and the large cooling intakes have long since been forgotten. Now other things take priority in design: visibility, ease of access to the interior, practicality of use… and safety.

For the new Subaru Impreza, the brand developed a platform – the same one used by the new Subaru XV – which will be used in future models from the brand, prepared to meet the minimum crash-test standards until 2025, and also suitable for hybrid and electric propulsion systems. It always strikes me as notable when a brand presents a new model and quotes the percentage increases in stiffness from one generation to the next. In the case of the Impreza, it speaks of 90 percent more lateral stiffness and 70 percent more torsional stiffness. I’m sure you’re thinking the same as me: either this one is “rigid as a rock”… or the previous one was very soft.

We will go into this topic in more depth later, since the rigidity of a car’s bodyshell gives a very good idea of its dynamic behaviour, and the Impreza scores magnificently in this area. But the fact that it has achieved the best score in the history of the JNCAP – the Japanese equivalent of Euro NCAP, which carries out the crash tests – already gives us an idea of where things are heading.

As for dimensions, this is a conventional compact. The Subaru Impreza measures 4.46 metres in length, 1.77 in width and 1.48 in height. It therefore grows by 45 mm in length and 35 in width, while its height is reduced by 10 mm. It also gains 25 mm in wheelbase, which now reaches 2.67 metres. It is curious that, despite the increase in size, the Impreza maintains the same turning circle of 5.3 metres, which ensures good manoeuvrability. It is sold with a five-door body.

1.6 petrol engine, Lineartronic gearbox and all-wheel drive

And we move straight on to the action; we will talk about the interior later. The first thing to know is that the Subaru Impreza is sold with a single combination of engine and transmission. The 1.6 horizontally-opposed 4-cylinder engine with 114 CV of power at 6,200 rpm and a maximum torque of 150 Nm at 3,600 rpm is always paired in the Impreza with the Lineartronic continuously variable automatic gearbox, and with the permanent all-wheel drive Symmetrical AWD system of Subaru.

The absence of a front-wheel-drive Impreza has an explanation: Subaru states that 92 percent of current Impreza owners say their primary reason for buying was the AWD traction. The lack of manual gearbox versions is a technical matter: as part of the aforementioned commitment to safety, Subaru fits the Eye Sight driver-assistance system as standard on all Impreza models, which is only compatible with the automatic gearbox.

How does this combination work? It can be summed up very easily in one sentence: I dare say the Impreza’s chassis would handle an engine with twice the power without any problem. And this means what you have probably already gathered: firstly, that the chassis is magnificent; secondly, that the engine is slightly short of breath, more because of the 150 Nm of “atmospheric push” than due to a question of power.

The horizontally-opposed engine still has its advantages in achieving a low centre of gravity that favours agility. The platform feels as rigid as Subaru claims. And the adjustments made to the suspension and steering are noticeable, with a quick steering ratio that makes it genuinely responsive. The all-wheel drive, now with the ATV active torque-vectoring system (sending power to the front axle in Sport versions, and to all four wheels in the Executive), raises the limit of grip very high, and the bodyshell rolls very little.

The result is a comfortable car, with suspension that filters bumps very well. But at the same time, with a response in corners that reminds you again and again that the engine’s 114 CV fall short for anything other than getting around town or travelling calmly at steady cruising speeds. The Lineartronic continuously variable gearbox is not the best automatic gearbox in its class, but it is the only transmission option available and it gets along well with the engine. It cannot offer the sensations of a dual-clutch gearbox, although the engine does not really demand one either. Think of the Impreza as a very comfortable car for everyday use, which has many other virtues beyond performance. As for fuel consumption, it averages 7.5 l/100 km in real-world use, if you don’t want to get it wrong. That may seem like a lot, but it is not so much when you consider that we are talking about a car with permanent all-wheel drive and an automatic gearbox. And if consumption is a concern, Subaru offers the option of converting the Impreza to run on LPG, for 1,750 euros.

The Eye Sight driver-assistance system from Subaru

That Subaru decidedly bets on safety with the new Impreza is something that is not only made clear by the fact that the Eye Sight system is standard. There are small things in the design that become apparent with use and handling of the car which, one way or another, are also related to safety. For example, visibility is very good in all directions. And the ergonomics are very well executed. It is appreciated that the controls are large and easy to operate, including those on the steering wheel. It is also good that the information on the three screens is easy to read and that they are simple and intuitive to use.

The Eye Sight system is the name Subaru gives to the standard driver-assistance package on all Impreza models which, according to the brand, can reduce accidents by up to 61 percent. This data comes from a sample of 300,000 cars sold in Japan, comparing vehicles with and without this system. It is based on two stereo cameras located next to the interior rear-view mirror, and its main functions include collision warning and assistance with pre-collision braking, emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane departure warning and lane-keeping assistance.

Interior, equipment and price of the Subaru Impreza

We will not wait any longer to talk about the Impreza’s price. Because 20,400 euros for the 1.6 Lineartronic Sport, including the 1,400 euros discount offered by the brand, is a “bargain” price for a car with all-wheel drive, automatic gearbox and such complete safety equipment, even if its engine is slightly underpowered. Add to this the air conditioning, heated seats, the multimedia system with a 6.5-inch screen, or the electronic handbrake…

For its part, the Executive trim costs an extra 2,800 euros, since it has a 1,700 euro discount and the final price is 23,200. But it adds adaptive LED headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels instead of 16, electrically folding and heated mirrors, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear lever, a rear-view camera, an 8-inch multimedia system and a superior audio system, rear traffic alert system and a 6.3-inch colour LCD screen between the instrument dials.

How do the driver and passengers enjoy all this? In an interior that stands out for its functionality. The new Impreza makes very good use of space, and offers an interior that is pleasing to the eye and feels high quality to the touch. Once again, it is the sum of small details that makes the difference: rear doors with a wide opening angle to ease access, practical storage spaces for emptying your pockets, maximum connectivity with mobile devices, good levels of headroom and legroom in all seats… Rounding off the picture is a boot whose capacity varies from 310 litres with a standard spare wheel up to 385 with a puncture repair kit, or 345 litres with an emergency spare wheel.

Rivals to the Impreza? It depends on how you look at it. Cars of its size with all-wheel drive and automatic gearboxes have much more powerful engines and cost much more, such as the Audi A3 Sportback TFSI 190 quattro S tronic or the BMW 120d xDrive Automatic, both above 36,000 euros. If we look for a solution to the equation from another angle, there is a different way of seeing it: for what the Impreza costs, you could get a Volkswagen Golf, but the 1.0 TSI 110 CV version with manual gearbox, 4×2 drive and the basic Edition trim.